


Shattered Glass

by Vic32



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Drama, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:37:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 37,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9487502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vic32/pseuds/Vic32
Summary: What will Gus do to protect his baby sister when his mothers hit a rocky plateau in their relationship?  And how will it affect Brian and Justin's lives?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta and friend Predec2 for the hard work and the beautiful banner.

 

 

 

Justin giggled to himself as he sat poised with his cell phone in hand, ready as he called out, “Brian, can you come out for a second, please?”

 

Brian ducked his head out of the bathroom, asking, “What?”

 

All Brian saw and heard was Justin holding his phone and then the recognizable click of the phone’s camera shutter.

 

“Well, you little asshole!” Brian laughed as he chased Justin around the loft, clad only in a bath towel and his face covered with shaving cream.

 

Justin ran around the couch, laughing, “I just wanted a cute picture of you; you always look sexy covered with shaving cream.”

 

Brian stood behind a chair, calculating the best way to capture his prey.   “You just wait until I get my hands on you!”

 

Wiggling his eyebrows, Justin giggled again, “Is that the best ‘punishment’ you can come up with?”

 

Laughing even more, the chase resumed for several minutes before Brian finally managed to grab Justin around the waist and pin him to the bed as he leaned over him.  Brian leered at him. “Now that I have you, you are so going to pay.”  Brian then gave Justin a deep kiss, leaving his lover’s face covered in the shaving foam.

 

Pulling back, Brian looked down at Justin and smirked. “Now look at you, dirty boy. I think you need a shower.” Pulling Justin up by the hand to stand, Brian led him into the bathroom, stripping him quickly before stepping into the wonderful heat and steam of the shower, making their already heated bodies even hotter.

  
  


_ Lindsay and Melanie’s Home... _

 

Gus sat huddled under his desk, his knees pulled up to his chest as he did his best not to cry again.

 

They were at it again, screaming at each other, and it was getting worse and worse. Worst of all, he could hear his mama Mel saying very bad things about his daddy. He didn’t understand; his daddy was very good to him and his sister JR.  They both loved him very much, so why couldn’t she see that?

 

The sound of a glass shattering made Gus jump, and finally the tears that had threatened to fall fell from his eyes. Then and there Gus knew that he needed to do something; he needed to get away and save his family.  He needed to be brave, just like his daddy would be.

 

Crawling out from under the desk, Gus took his Captain Astro/Rage backpack that his uncle Mikey had made for him. He began gathering his clothes:  PJ’s, underwear, socks, and a mix of other stuff that he thought he might need.

 

Looking around his room, he spotted his money box.  Yes, he decided, he would need money, so he emptied the change he had from the box and placed it in the pocket of his backpack.

 

He bit his lip, worried over the sounds of his mommies fighting still raging on. Picking up his favorite teddy bear, he made his way quietly to his sister’s room.

 

JR smiled upon seeing her brother; she loved Gus very much.

 

Smiling back at her, Gus lowered the side of her cot. Using the step stool, he stood on it so he could reach her. “Hiya, JR.  I have to go away for a while, but I’m going to get us help. I’ll get your daddy to come get you,” he promised, placing the bear by her. “Here’s your Jussie Bear. He will look after you until I see you again,” he reassured her as the child cooed back at him.  Leaning over, he kissed her little cheek as she smiled back at her brother. Making sure the side was back up and the foot stool put away, Gus went back to his room to collect his bag.

 

Standing in his room, Gus donned his coat and hat, and with the backpack now slung over one shoulder, he crept out and softly trod down the stairs. The sounds of fighting getting louder and louder,the two women never heard him leave. His little five-and-a-half-year-old heart beating loudly, he was surprised that they didn’t hear it as he opened the door and then carefully closed it behind him.

  
  


_ Somewhere in Pittsburgh... _

  
  
  


Gus felt scared and nervous, but he wanted to find his daddy, and nothing was going to stop him. He loved his mommies very much, but he just didn’t want to live with them any more, and with their fighting it was getting scary as well.

 

They lived in a lovely, safe area, so he didn’t feel nervous walking down the street alone.  But when he arrived at the busier main roads teeming with strangers, his fear and anxiety grew.

  
  


Gus didn’t know how long he had been walking but he knew he was getting tired and hungry.  Looking up at the sky, he could see that it was going to start snowing very soon.

 

Biting his lip and shivering slightly in the cold, Gus stood frozen in place before turning around only to bump into a pair of legs.

 

Gus immediately blurted out, “Sorry!” as his tears fell once more.

 

The man he bumped into crouched down, and in a friendly, soothing voice he tried to calm him.  “It’s okay; don’t cry.”

 

Gus wiped his eyes, hiccuping through his tears. “I’ll try, mister.”

 

The man frowned slightly as he looked around their general surroundings and didn’t notice anyone who seemed to be with the little boy.  “Are you by yourself?” he asked the child softly.  

 

Gus hesitated for a moment before he nodded.  “But I’m going to see my Daddy,” he explained. 

 

The fuzzy hood of Gus’s coat obscured his face somewhat as the man took a closer look at him.  His eyes widened slightly in recognition as he realized who it was.  “My name’s Dave, by the way, and I think I know your daddy.  Is your daddy’s name Brian Kinney?”

 

Gus’s head snapped up as he looked with relief into Dave’s eyes, smiling now as he nodded. “Yeah, that’s my daddy.  Do you know him?”

 

Nodding, Dave replied with a smile, “I sure do.  My brother Alan works for him.”

 

A huge smile broke out over Gus’s face.  “Alan is your brother?  I love Alan!  He’s so funny and is always telling me jokes.  And he buys me candy bars and Coke.”

 

Feeling proud of his brother about his kindness but not surprised by it, Dave confirmed, “He’s a wonderful brother to me.”  He looked curiously at the little boy as he asked, “Gus, why are you out here all by yourself?  Are you lost?”

 

Ducking his head, Gus sighed.   “I just need my daddy,” he sniffled. 

 

Frowning in concern, Dave asked, “Is something wrong?”

 

Chewing on his lip, Gus nodded, his eyes beginning to fill up with tears again. “Yeah, my mommies are fighting real bad. So I’m going to get daddy to help, and I couldn’t carry JR, so I tell Uncle Mikey to go get her, too.”

 

Dave thought for a moment before he decided, “Okay, I’ll take you to your daddy.  But first we are going to get you something to eat.  I’m sure you must be hungry.  How does that sound?”  

 

Continuing to sniffle and fighting off more tears, Gus smiled as his tummy rumbled. “Yes. I have my money from my money box in my bag,” he told Dave.  “We can use that.”

 

Smiling over the boy’s thoughtfulness, he placed his hand on Gus’s shoulder to guide him toward a diner nearby.  “That’s very nice of you to offer, Gus, but I’ll buy; it’s okay,” he told him as the hostess led them over to a booth and handed them their menus, Gus selecting the kid’s meal of chicken fingers and fries, while Dave chose a more healthy meal of a grilled chicken sandwich with Cole slaw. 

 

Ravenous, Gus dispatched his meal speedily before Dave drove him him to the Kinnetik Offices. On the way, Dave called his brother to advise him of who his passenger was, asking him to meet him at the door.

  
  


_ Kinnetik Offices.... _

  
  


Alan did as Dave asked, waiting by the entrance as he pulled up to the curb; Gus ran right up to him, giving him a huge hug as he exclaimed,  “Alan!” Your brother Dave found me, and he got me some food before he drove me here. He’s just like you!  He’s so nice!”  

 

Alan looked over at his brother as he still hugged Gus and smiled at him warmly.  “Yeah, Dave is a very good guy. Come on now, let's go find your daddy, okay?”

 

Alan and Dave each took one of Gus’s hands as they led him to Brian.  Dave wanted to explain how he found his son, because he could feel a major storm brewing for this family.

 

Just before they arrived at Brian’s office, Dave called Cynthia’s extension, asking her to warn Brian that his son was here, but that he was fine, so he wouldn’t freak out and scare Gus.

 

Thankfully, Cynthia - after having known Brian for years - knew just what to say to keep him calm enough as he walked into her boss’s office to explain face-to-face about his little visitor.

 

Brian looked at her with concern, asking, “What could be happening that he is here without Mel or Lindsay?”

 

Patting his arm, she wisely advised, “Give him time to tell you.  I know that you can handle anything when it involves your son.”  She knew how much he cherished his little boy, and would do whatever it took to take care of him.

 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Brian sighed as he responded, “I hope so; I really do.”

 

Hearing familiar footsteps and chatter, Brian turned to see his son holding Alan and Dave’s hands and talking up a storm, but as soon as he spotted him his eyes lit up.  Letting go of the two men’s hands, he ran full pelt into his dad's arms. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” he exclaimed joyously.

 

Lifting his son in his arms and hugging him close, he murmured against his cheek, “Sonny Boy!  Are you okay?  Where are your mommies?”

 

Pulling back to look into his dad's eyes, Gus’s lips began to tremble as the tears fell onto his cheeks.  He buried his face in the crook of Brian’s neck as the sobs took over, making his tiny body shake.

 

Rubbing his son’s back, Brian tried to calm his son as his worry mounted. “Shh, it’s okay, Daddy's here now,” he whispered.  “Can you tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, but Gus remained quiet except for an occasional sniffle.  Brian frowned; this was so different from his normally happy little boy.  “I tell you what...why don’t you run down to Uncle Ted’s office to say hello, and I’ll tidy up here so we can go home. Justin’s there too.  We can talk about what’s bothering you. Would you like that?”

 

Nodding into his shoulder, Gus pulled back, his little face all wet and red from crying, as he nodded. “Okay, Daddy. I like Ted.  But promise you’ll wait for me.” 

 

Brian smiled affectionately at his son as he slowly lowered him to the ground.  “You bet, Sonny Boy.  You go visit him, and I’ll be right there.  I’ll have Cynthia go with you.”  

 

Gus nodded as - giving his dad one last kiss on the cheek - he watched as his father called for Cynthia to come to his office; holding his hand and smiling down at him a minute later, she held the little boy’s hand as she led him down the hallway toward Ted’s office.

  
  


Once Gus was out of sight, Brian released a deep breath while rubbing his face. Turning to the men now who had been quietly observing from a short distance away, Brian shook Dave’s hand. “I believe a huge thank you is on order for finding Gus and bringing him here safely. God, if it had been someone else, who knows what could have happened?”  He shook his head at the thought. If anything ever happened to his son, he would be absolutely devastated.

 

Dave nodded, “I know what you mean; I have a young son of my own.  When he bumped into me on the sidewalk, I figured out who he was pretty quickly.  I got him something to eat to calm him down before bringing him here.”  He smiled.  “He wanted to use own money to pay for his lunch, but I wouldn’t let him, of course.”  He paused before surmising, “ I suspected it had been awhile since he had last eaten anything.”

 

Sitting on the edge of his desk, Brian frowned, not liking the sound of this at all. “Did he say why he was there all alone?”

 

Nodding, Dave hesitated for a moment before he explained, “He said that his mommies were fighting again and breaking things, so he wanted to find you so you could let his Uncle Mikey know that he needed to go get...JR, I think he said?”  Brian nodded as he added, “He told me he wanted to make sure she was safe, and he was upset that he couldn’t bring her with him because he couldn’t carry her.”

 

Feeling full of fear as well as anger, Brian slammed his fist down on the desk, startling both men slightly. “What the hell are they doing, fighting with the kids in the house?  You never do that! Fuck! Just wait until I get my hands on them!” he snapped.  “They better have a good lawyer.”  He took another deep breath to calm himself down as he peered over at Dave and Alan.  “Listen...thank you again for helping.  I’ll call JR’s father as soon as I get home. I’m going to teach those two bitches a lesson they won’t forget.”  

 

Dave and Alan nodded, both men silently glad that they were not going to be the object of Brian’s fury.  They could just imagine what might lie ahead for the two women, but they also agreed with him; both mothers had behaved horridly if what Gus had indicated was true, and they could see no reason why he would lie about it

  
  


Gus sat in the chair next to Ted as the man explained all about the numbers he was using to help his dad keep track of how much money was coming in, and how much was going out in the most simplistic of terms he could manage. 

 

Gus looked at one of the ledger pages as he pointed to an entry and stated nonchalantly, That should be a five, not a four, Uncle Ted.”

 

Ted looked down at the page, frowning in disbelief.  But Gus was right; he had added up the debit column incorrectly.  He inwardly cursed Brian for being someone who always wanted the accounting done the manual way, rather than using some accounting software that automatically calculated it, but it matched his boss’s style of ‘hands-on’ management.  He shook his head, impressed, as he told the little boy, “Wow, Gus, you’re right.  It should be a five.  Well done.  You just might wind up coming to work for your dad one day.  Thanks for noticing that.”  

 

Beaming with happiness and glad that he did something right, Gus replied, “You’re welcome,  Uncle Ted.”

 

“Better watch out, Theodore; Sonny Boy here may wind up not only coming to work for me, but replacing YOU,” Brian replied from his place in the doorway, having overheard the last few lines of conversation.  

 

“Daddy!” Gus chided him.  “I would never take Uncle Ted’s job!” he exclaimed indignantly.  “Don’t worry, Uncle Ted.  I would still let you be the boss.”  

 

“I was just teasing him, Gus,” Brian revealed.  “But after you get out of school, and you want a job here, there will be one waiting for you.”

 

“I’ll think about it, Daddy,” Gus told him.  “But first I’d rather just play.”  

 

Brian laughed.  “Okay.  Sounds like a good plan.”  

 

Ted shook his head in amazement.  “He’s right, you know. He DID find a mistake,” he admitted.  “You have one smart kid there.”  

 

“Was there ever any question?” Brian asked as Gus beamed over the praise. Lifting Gus up off the ground, Brian spun him around as he exclaimed, “Way to go, Sonny Boy!”  

 

Laughing now, Gus squealed, “It’s fun, Daddy! I love numbers!” 

 

“I know!  Well, it’s no wonder you and Uncle Ted get along so well, then,” Brian told him as he stopped twirling him around and gave him a hug while he held him.  “Thanks for keeping an eye on him,” Brian told Ted, who nodded. 

  
  


“Any time, Brian,” Ted responded. “Especially now that I know my job is intact, at least for another 10 years or so.”  

  
  


With a grin, Brian turned and headed out the door with his son still held in his arms; for some reason, he felt the need to hold onto him just a little more tightly than normal.  

 

_ Britin... _

  
  


All was quiet on the drive home, but when they reached the house Gus ran straight into Justin’s waiting arms.  “Hi, Daddy Justin!”

 

Hugging the little boy tightly, he replied, “Hey, Gus.”  He could feel himself blinking back tears as he looked over Gus’s shoulder and saw the worry etched clearly on Brian’s face. 

 

As they settled in the living room on the couch a short time later, it took ten minutes before Gus began to tell them everything.  “My mommies, they’re...they’re always shouting all the time, and they throw things and break things. It scares JR and me. Mama says really mean things about you, Daddy, and it's not fair. Mommy hit Mama, and her lip was bleeding,” he disclosed as the two men gaped at him in stunned disbelief. Gus paused to wipe a tear that fell before he pleaded with them, “I don’t want to live with them any more, they are not nice. I love my mommies, but they are mean.  Daddy, you have to get Uncle Mikey to go get JR. I couldn’t carry her, so I gave her Jussie bear to watch over her, because Jussie bear looks after us all, just like Daddy Justin does...don’t you, Daddy Justin?”

 

Tears stung Justin’s eyes from the words Gus had spoken; he felt helpless at the moment to stop the boy’s pain.  “I try, Gus.  I love looking after all of you.”

 

Gus hugged Justin, “I love you, Daddy Justin.”

 

Brian wrapped his arms around them both, kissing the tops of their heads, his own heart breaking over his son’s words.  “I’ll call Uncle Mikey...and I’ll call your mommies, too. I’ll make sure you stay with me. It might take awhile to straighten everything out, okay?  But I will do everything I can to make it happen,” he vowed, his lips pressed firmly together in resolve.  It was all he could do to keep his fury in check over what his son - and his sister - were having to endure.  After the childhood he had experienced, it was especially painful to hear.  

 

Gus wrapped his arms around his dad now. “Thank you, Daddy.  I love you so much.”

 

Kissing the top of his son’s head again, Brian closed his eyes as he murmured, “I love you, too, Sonny Boy.”

 

Gus was worn out from all his adventures so far that day. So after getting a promise from his father that he would call Uncle Mikey, Brian accompanied his son up to one of the spare bedrooms so he could take a much-needed nap. 

 

Once Gus was settled in and fell asleep - mainly due to exhaustion -  Brian made his way back downstairs with fury now on his face, his hands clenched into fists.

 

It was only Justin’s calming touch that kept his anger in check.  Wordlessly, Justin reached out and gently but firmly opened up his hands to grasp them.  

 

Kissing Brian’s cheek and pulling him into his arms to hold him close, Justin spoke reassuringly, “Everything will be fine.  Take a deep breath, then make the call to Michael. Then call the girls or the other way around, whichever you think is better.”

 

Leaning back into Justin’s embrace, Brian did as Justin suggested, taking a deep breath before deciding, “I think that I’ll call Michael first, and tell him not to do anything until I give him the go ahead...after I talk with the girls.”

 

Turning around in Justin’s arms, Brian leaned his forehead against his as he whispered, “Thank you for always being here for us, Sunshine.  I’m not sure that I could do this without you.”

 

Kissing Brian deeply and returning his love, Justin pulled back to look into his eyes. “I’m here forever,” he promised him.  “I love you...and Gus.”

 

Kissing the tip of Justin’s nose, Brian smiled. “I love you, too, Sunshine,” he whispered back.  He sighed.  “Now I’d better go make those calls.  Wish me luck.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Justin wrapped his arms around Brian from behind. “Everything is going to be okay; we’ll sort this out, go make the calls, and I’ll go sit with Gus for a bit.”

Holding Justin’s hand over his heart, Brian then placed a kiss on it. “Thank you, Sunshine.”

Smiling, Justin moved in front of him, kissing him once more before leaving to go upstairs to sit with Gus so Brian could make the calls. 

Picking up the phone, Brian dialed the first number. The voice on the other end made him laugh, even though inside he was seething over what he had discovered. 

“Red Cape Comics, where super heroes and warriors can be found; how can I help you?”

Laughing, Brian replied, “Hey, Zephyr, it’s Rage here.”

Michael brightened on hearing his best friend's voice. “Brian, how are you? Is everything okay?” He frowned. “You never dial this line.”

The laughter gone, Brian’s voice took on another tone, “No, everything's not okay; in fact, everything will probably become much worse before it gets better.”

Michael moved to flip the sign on his door to read ‘closed,’ sensing that this was going to be something major. “What happened, Brian? What’s wrong?”

Sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Brian began, “Gus ran away from home, Mikey! He fucking ran away. Luckily Dave - you know, Alan’s brother - found him, fed him, and then brought him to me. Jesus, Michael! His first thought was to get to his Uncle Mikey, because he was worried about his sister.”

Michael sat down heavily on a stool, his face creased with worry. “What the fuck happened to make him run away, and why does he want me to go get JR?”

Rubbing his face to fight off his anger, Brian explained, “Gus said that his mommies are fighting and breaking things. He said that Lindsay hit Melanie, but I think that might have been an accident,” he hastily added. “She isn’t a violent person. He said that Mel is saying mean things about me. So now he wants to live with me and Justin, and he wants you to go get JR.” 

Michael paled as he replied, “Jesus, Brian! That’s seriously fucked up, to fight in front of the kids, or even do it with them in the house! What the hell is wrong with them?” 

Sitting back in his chair, Brian once again pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t even think they know he’s left the house.I’m going to call and ask to speak with Gus. I’ll say it's about some kid’s thing I’m taking him to. So I’ll hear them when they realize he isn’t there. Then I’ll set them straight on what’s going to happen going forward. I’ll call you back afterward so you can go get JR. She needs to be out of that house until this is at least sorted out. I know that you and Ben have that London trip coming up, so Justin and I could look after her until you get back.”

Fighting off the tears, Michael nodded into the phone. “Thank you, Brian, you really are my best friend, and you treat JR like you do Gus; never any differently.”

Smiling, Brian replied, “Yes, well, she is my goddaughter and Gus’s sister, so why wouldn’t I? Okay, wish me luck, I’ll call you back.”

 

Justin stepped into Gus’s room to discover Gus wide awake and sitting on his huge play mat on the floor. The mat had roads and train tracks, houses, and trees on it. The young boy was pushing one of the wooden trains that he had made with Justin; they made all the stuff that was on the mat from scratch, and he loved it. 

Hearing a noise by the door, Gus looked up, feeling really sad, but when he saw Justin standing there he gave him a tiny smile. 

Stepping closer, Justin sat down beside the downhearted, young boy. “You doing okay, Gus?”

Nodding, Gus peered down at the train in his hand, rolling it back and forth silently for a few minutes. A little sigh finally escaped his lips as he asked, “Daddy Justin, do you love me, Daddy and JR?”

Shocked, Justin swooped Gus up into his arms, cradling him on his crossed knees as he held him close. “Of course I love you all! I love you more than life itself. Why do you ask?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Gus replied, “I love you, too.” He was silent for a few moments before he asked almost timidly, “Do you love my mommies?”

Hugging Gus and rubbing his hair, Justin fought back tears at the sad tone of the little boy’s voice. How should he answer that question? After a few moments he finally replied, “I do love them, of course I do. I just don’t like that they are fighting right now. “But we’ll help them, okay? You have nothing to worry about.”

Gus wrapped his tiny arms around Justin, holding as tightly onto him as he could as he let out a contented sigh. “Thank you Daddy Justin, love you.”

Kissing the top of the little boy’s head and holding him firmly in his arms, Justin swallowed the lump in his throat as he whispered, “Love you, too, Gus.”

It wasn’t long before Justin heard the deep breathing coming from the tiny body, letting him know the boy had fallen asleep again. Picking him up, he tucked him into bed before lying down next to him to try and help keep the bad dreams away, because he knew that they would be coming.

 

Brian braced himself before picking up the phone again to call a familiar number; a very clipped tone greeted him after a couple of rings. “Hello.”

Rubbing his eyes, Brian spoke into the phone, keeping his voice as light as he could under the circumstances. “Hi, Linds. “How are you?” 

Sitting by the phone, Lindsay hesitated for a just a few seconds before she replied, “I’m fine. Just straightening up the house.” She gave a small laugh as he explained, “You know how messy things can get when kids are involved.” 

Brian rolled his eyes as he spoke again, “Yeah. Speaking of which, can I talk to my Sonny Boy? There’s a carnival down at the park this weekend, and I thought he might like to go.”

Lindsey smiled at Brian’s thoughtfulness, but glared over at Mel as she went walked from the living room into the kitchen, “Sure, he’s up in his room. He’s been up there for ages, actually. Hold on.”

Seconds later there were the sounds of some very panicked yelling coming from Lindsay, making Mel run up the stairs. Lindsey screamed into the phone, “Brian, Gus isn’t here! He’s not in the house, his bag is gone, and some of his clothes are too. What the fuck?”

Worried about her own daughter, Mel ran into JR’s room relieved to see her lying in her bed, hugging Jussie bear. Picking her daughter up, she held her close, panic filling her as she rejoined Lindsay back in Gus’s room. 

Lindsay was sobbing now into the phone. “I have to call the police, Brian! Someone must have taken my baby! Oh, my God! Gus! What could have happened?”

Brian was infuriated as Lindsay continued to babble worriedly. Just as he suspected they had no idea Gus had even left, and they hadn’t checked on him in who knows how long? 

His jaw clenched, Brian had to struggle to keep his voice as level as possible so Gus would not overhear what he was saying as he demanded, “Shut the fuck up with your crying, Lindsay, and listen to me! Your son - MY son - is fine! He’s here with me, you stupid bitches!” 

Lindsay gasped, her voice shaky as he responded, “What..what do you mean he’s there with you? How?”

Mel grabbed the phone, handing over JR to Lindsay as she snarled, “You listen here, you God damned son of a bitch...”

Brian promptly interrupted her rant. “No! YOU listen! You were both screaming and shouting and breaking things so much that you didn’t hear him even leave the house. WHY WASN’T THE SAFETY CHAIN ON? My son was alone and scared, and his only concern was just for JR. Thank God Dave recognized him and brought him to me!”

But Mel didn’t back down from her tirade. “Who the fuck is Dave? And you’d God damned better bring Gus home right now! He is MY son, too!”

Laughing derisively now, Brian replied, “Bring him home? You have fucking got to be kidding me! I don’t think so. I’m filing papers first thing tomorrow to get temporary custody of Gus, and I’ll go after permanent custody if you two don’t get your shit sorted out. If you even think about coming over here or calling the police, I’ll have you arrested and charged with neglect!”

Mel tried to issue an angry retort, but was stopped by Lindsay grabbing her arm as she heard the determination in Brian’s voice. Brian never said what he didn’t mean, and both of them knew that.

Brian took a breath before instructing them, “Now go pack a bag for JR, because Michael will be over there to collect her. And don’t even think of fighting me over any of this, because you will lose. No child should be in a house with screaming parents, breaking things, and physically fighting. I’ve been in his shoes.” He was determined NOT to have his only child go through any of the constant torment he had been subjected to as a child the same age. 

Mel gasped, “How did you know?”

Brian explained tersely, “Gus saw it all and heard everything, so pack that bag now.”

Lindsay looked up at a red, angry-faced Mel, asking, “What’s going on? Please tell me! Is Gus coming home?”

Shaking her head, a tear slipped from Mel’s eye as she told Brian resignedly, “I’ll pack some bags for JR, and include some more things for Gus. But tell Michael to hurry before I lose my cool, and change my mind!”

Brian spat out, “Be fast and hope that this can all be sorted out. Because I’m telling you now - if Gus doesn’t want to live with you two, he is not going to! DO I make myself clear? Because MY son will NOT live in fear!”

Sitting next to Lindsay on Gus’s bed, Mel gritted her teeth as she replied quietly, “Very clear,” before Brian promptly disconnected the call, leaving her holding the phone in her hand, still in shock over what had just transpired. 

Brian shook with disgust as he made his way up to check on his son after calling Michael to let him know it was okay to go retrieve his daughter, telling him to do it as soon as possible. 

Mel explained to Lindsay what Brian had said. They both cried, hugging JR before going to pack the bags Mel had promised, and vowing to work with Brian to fix the situation. As much as people thought Brian was an ass, they didn’t know he had the ability to fix the unfixable. Would that be the case here? Neither mother wanted it to come to that, but they also knew there was not going to be an easy solution to their problem. 

 

Brian found Gus tucked in bed, with Justin’s arms protectively around him, both fast asleep. Slipping in behind his son who was now between the two men, Brian closed his eyes, promising to make it all better somehow.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben and Michael pulled up outside the girl’s house and parked the car. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Ben asked his husband, “Do you want me to wait here, or come in with you?”

Sighing deeply, Michael reached out and took one of Ben’s hands in his. “Come in with me. We need to do this together. We have no idea what will happen, or how long we will have Jenny Rebecca staying with us; let's just hope this helps them.” Michael peered up at the house, his lips pursed together, before stating, “My daughter’s welfare comes first, though, no matter what.” 

Lifting Michael’s hand to his lips, Ben placed a comforting kiss on the back of it. “We can do this. And with everyone’s help, I’m sure it will work out.” Michael nodded, not 100% convinced, but determined to do what was best for JR. Exiting the car, they made their way up the steps that led to the house.

 

Mel had heard the car doors being shut; peeking out of the curtains, she saw that it was the boys coming to collect JR. Holding her daughter close to her chest and slowly rocking her back and forth restlessly, she glanced over at Lindsay anxiously. “This is it.”

Opening the door, Lindsay offered the two men a sad smile as she let them in, with very awkward hellos being exchanged.

Stepping inside the house, the tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The little girl could obviously feel it as well, because she began to fuss in her mother's arms.

Smiling at his daughter, Michael held out his arms to her. “Hey, Honey Bun! You want to come to Daddy?” He eyed Mel pointedly without blinking, leaving no doubt as to what his demand was, as JR immediately reached out to him, settling down as soon as her mother released her from her grasp and Michael held her in his arms. 

A stone-faced Lindsay pointed to the bags. “Their clothes and toys are in there. The Spiderman one is Gus’s.” She glared at the two men before retorting, “Don’t think we like being forced to hand over our children like this.” 

Michael sighed in disgust, handing JR over to Ben as he replied curtly, “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t frightened Gus so much that he thought he had to take action. You both need to sort your problems out, and it’s better to do that without the kids around. I know you think I’m whiny,” he told them, both women opening their mouths to issue a protest, but deciding it was best not to say anything further, “...but I agree totally with Brian about his decision. What happens after this is totally up to the two of you.” 

Mel glared at him as he instinctively reached out to help Ben slide her daughter’s hand through the sleeve of her coat. “He didn’t give us much of a choice, Michael,” she replied tartly. “But don’t think we’re going to put up with this arrangement permanently; they’re OUR children, too.” 

Ben couldn’t stand to stay quiet any longer for the sake of his partner. “Then you need to make some changes,” he told them flatly. “There’s one thing we all agree on; the kids have to come first.” He turned to look over at his lover. “Michael, ready to get going?” 

Michael shook his head, thankful he had such a supportive partner. “Yeah,” he told him. “Remember what Ben said,” he told them as Michael reached down to pick up two of the bags and slung JR’s pink “Princess” backpack over one shoulder. “Let’s go.” He allowed both women to give JR a kiss on the cheek before the two of them headed toward the door, closing it firmly behind them as they headed toward their vehicle. Lindsay and Mel watched through the screened-in front porch door, both women wondering when they would see both of their children again, and each silently blaming each other for their predicament.

 

 

Sitting in her booster seat a few minutes later, JR clutched her stuffed teddy as Ben steered their car away from the curb, the little girl murmuring some unintelligible babble to the animal and making both men smile in amusement. They were also both relieved that JR seemed unaffected by what had transpired, or the tension that had been present between the four adults. 

Stopped at a traffic light a few minutes later, Ben placed a hand on Michael's' knee and gave it a short squeeze. “Why don’t we stop by Brian and Justin’s? We can let Gus see his sister to show him that she’s okay, and we can hopefully formulate some sort of action plan about what needs to be done.” 

Michael’s heart swelled with even more love over his husband's thoughtfulness. “That’s a great idea...and another reason why I love you.” The two exchanged a brief kiss before Ben called Brian to let him know they had JR and were on their way back to the house, suggesting he not mention it to Gus so they could surprise him.

 

Brian turned to Justin after hanging up, wrapping his arms around him as he revealed, “They have her, they’re on their way here to surprise Gus. I hope it makes him feel better. He is far too young to be dealing with this sort of problem.”

Leaning into Brian’ s embrace, Justin sighed with a nod. “I agree; no child should have to deal with this sort of bullshit. He’s just a little boy! But we’ll get through this, Brian. And Gus and JR will be fine.” 

Brian smiled at his partner, his heart swelling with emotion over the love his partner felt for his little boy and JR, and how protective he was of them. It was one of the things he loved the most about Justin. “Yeah, they will,” he whispered, holding Justin close as Gus slept, unaware of their quiet conversation. “Thanks in large part to you.” 

Justin pulled back, blushing. “I love them, Brian,” he explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world. To him it was. 

“I know you do,” Brian told Justin with a soft smile as he rested his forehead against his lover’s. “And I love you.” 

 

Driving up the long driveway after getting buzzed in, Ben and Michael parked in front of the house. A smiling, babbling JR broke the tension that started to build in the car as Michael smiled at his daughter. “Thank God she has no idea what’s going on. I know Gus will be thrilled to see her.”

Squeezing his husband's knee, Ben stated, “They are lucky to have each other; let’s get inside so they can be reunited.”

Getting out of the car and unstrapping JR from her seat, they made their way to the front door. But before they could knock the door opened. 

Brian and Justin greeted them. “Hi Michael, Ben, JR.”

JR giggled, reaching out for Brian to take her. Brian, of course, plucked her out of MIchael’s arms, smiling at the little girl. “Hey, kiddo! You here to see your brother?”

Justin smiled at their interaction as he welcomed them, taking their bags inside and closing the door behind them. 

Ben asked, “How is Gus doing?”

Justin sighed. “As best he can. He’s quieter than normal, crying on and off and blaming himself for not being able to take JR with him when he left. The poor little guy is scared. Scared that his mommies are not going to be able to fix whatever is wrong.”

Shaking his head, Michael replied, “He’s got good reason to be worried. “But he’s just a baby, really; he shouldn’t have to take on this responsibility. Let's call him down and show him that he his sister is okay, and he did he right thing.”

Brian nodded, smiling as he asked JR, “You ready to see your big brother?” 

JR nodded vigorously with a shy smile as Brian moved toward the stairs. Brian called up, “Sonny Boy, there’s a little girl here to see you.”

The sound of little feet running made them look up and Gus carefully made his way down the stairs, smiling all the way. His smile grew even bigger once he reached the bottom; it shone so brightly that it could have filled a room.

Gus cheered. “JR! You’re here! Are you okay?”

Running to his Uncle Michael, he leapt into his arms, holding him tight. “You did it! You went and got her! thank you, Uncle Mikey!”

Hugging the little boy close Michael assured him, “I’ll always do whatever is best for both of you. “After all, you’re Honey Bun’s big brother...and I love you. Thank you for watching over her.” He could feel his voice breaking with emotion. 

Kissing his uncle on the cheek, Gus smiled. “I love you, too, Uncle Mikey, and you, too, Uncle Ben. Thank you for going to get her. Now maybe our mommies can get better.”

Gently lowering Gus to the floor, Brian did the same as she crawled straight to her brother with a smile on her face. 

Hugging his sister and kissing her cheek, Gus stated softly, “I told you that our daddies would help us, didn’t I? They will help fix everything, and it will all be okay,” he promised her.

The four men watched with aching hearts at the scene unfolding in front of them, all of them silently hoping that Gus was right; that everything could be fixed the their family healed.


	4. Chapter 4

Justin spoke up, suggesting, “Why don’t I make us some coffee so we can talk and let the kids play together for a bit?”

Nodding, Michael replied, “Sounds like a good idea.”

As they moved toward the kitchen, Brian wrapped his arms around Justin’s shoulders, placing a kiss on the side of his head. “Thank you, Sunshine,” he whispered. 

He smiled at Brian, leaning into his arms as they made their way into the kitchen.

 

Lindsay and Mel sat on their couch in the living room, not saying a word. The sound of silence was deafening.

The ticking of the clock, the rumble from the fridge, and the freezer drifted around, mixing in with the thumping of both their hearts.

Mel was the first to speak as her voice shook with emotion. “Who would have thought that I would miss the sound of kids running around screaming? The sound of Gus coloring, or JR’s babbling to Jussie bear?” she murmured, turning to Lindsay. “How are we going to fix this? What have we been actually fighting about that led us to this mess?”

Lindsay sat in silence for so long that Mel thought she wasn’t going to answer her, until at last she admitted, “Honestly, I have no idea. We have no money issues, we both have good jobs, and two wonderful children; what do we have to fight about?”

Moving to sit more comfortably on the couch, Mel clutched a throw pillow against her body as she replied, “Maybe it’s because we don’t see each other enough at work, and neither of us is willing to cut back our hours. And Brian’s always demanding to see his son.” The last two words were spoken with distinct disdain. “All Gus talks about is how wonderful his daddies are, and how they did this or they did that, blah, blah, blah...”

Lindsay frowned at her as she reminded Mel coolly, “Well, he is Gus’s father.”

Mel glared at her as she bitterly spat out, “I’m his mother legally, and he has no legal rights!”

Biting her lip Lindsay peered back at her, a guilty look on her face.

Mel immediately knew something was up. “What did you do?” she demanded in a very clipped tone. 

Turning to look at her wife, she put on her best blank face as Lindsay revealed, “I filed papers giving them both the same equal rights to Gus as us. I also put Brian on the birth certificate.”

Throwing the cushion onto the ground, Mel stood up furiously, shouting, “YOU DID WHAT?! How could you do that? You can’t do that without my signature!” 

Looking up at a very red-faced Mel, Lindsay swallowed before replying, “Actually, I can. I’m his biological mother, and he’s his biological father. The papers you have just give you rights to make medical decisions on his behalf.”

Eyes wide in shock at what she had just heard Mel, sat down heavily on the chair far from Lindsay. “I thought that I was legally his mother! You betrayed me; both of you did!” 

Shaking her head, Lindsay told her, “Actually, Brian has no clue. He thinks that you are legally his mother, and not just for medical purposes.”

Anger flowed fast through her veins as Mel leapt off the chair, grabbing her coat and keys and storming out of the house, slamming the door as she did. 

Lindsay jumped at the sound as she buried her face in her hands, tears cascading down her face and making her heart beat even faster. 

 

 

Gus and JR sat on the play mat that was in the kitchen, happily playing with their toys while the grown ups chatted at the table.

Justin asked, breaking the silence, “When do you leave for London?”

Ben replied, “The day after tomorrow. Actually, we’re not sure that we should go now.”

Brian shook his head. “No, you should still go. We’ll keep JR here, starting now, instead of her coming and going; it will be less stressful this way.”

Michael nodded while looking at his daughter. “As much as it pains me to leave her, you’re right; it’s for the best, and she seems happy to be with Gus.”

They all glanced at the happy pair, oblivious to all the drama unfolding around them, and the decisions being made that would affect their future. 

Justin covered Michael’s hand with his own. “Don’t worry, we’ll look after her; I’m working from home until all of this is sorted out.” Michael nodded back at him in gratitude, stealing one more glance over at his daughter, glad that she was unaware of everything transpiring.

 

Mel drove aimlessly around town, letting her own tears fall as she did. How could Lindsay fool both her and Brian? It wasn’t fair. The Brian of today was a far cry from the Brian of the past, even though he did pop up now and then, but it was rare. 

Pulling into a motel, Mel checked in, needing some space to reflect. Sitting on the bed, she sent a text, letting Lindsay know that she was okay, but that she just needed some time to think. 

Lindsay cried harder after receiving the text from Mel. Her life was crumbling and spiralling out of control, so she grabbed her purse and made her way to the only place that she could think of.

 

Brian frowned upon hearing a knock at the front door, wondering how anyone had gotten in without being buzzed in at the gate. He was shocked to see Lindsay standing there when he opened the door. “Hi, Brian, may I come in?”


	5. Chapter 5

Brian stood at the door, gripping it hard as he shot daggers with his eyes at Lindsay standing there. “What the fuck are you doing here, Lindsay, and how the fuck did you get in?”

Fidgeting with her purse, she looked around whispering, “Can we not do this on the doorstep, Brian?”

Raising his eyebrows, Brian looked around. “What the fuck are you going on about? We live on acres of private land! There’s no one around. So I ask you again, why the fuck are you here, when I clearly asked you to stay away?”

Her eyes filled with tears as she bit her lip. “Mel stormed out of the house. I don’t know where she is. She did text to say that she was okay, but I think she left me, Brian.” 

Throwing his eyes heavenward, he stepped aside to let her in. “Okay, you have ten minutes to explain yourself. Come in.”

Lindsey was surprised to see Ben and Michael sitting in the kitchen with Justin. Looking around, she asked, “Where are the kids?”

Justin took a sip of his coffee before informing her, “Napping upstairs. Why are you here when Brian asked you stay away?”

Michael scowled at her, adding before she could answer Justin, “Yeah, what are you doing here, and where is Melanie?”

Looking around nervously at everyone who had their eyes trained on her, she repeated what she has just told Brian. “She stormed out the house. I think she left me.” 

Frowning, Justin asked, “Why did she storm out? Did you have another fight?”

Michael interjected, “I thought you were going to try and sort things out? What happened now?”

Sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs, she explained, “She found out that I made Brian and Justin equal legal guardians of Gus, and that I had put Brian’s name on the birth certificate. She also found out that she has only a medical power-of-attorney, and nothing else.”

Brian stood stock still at what he just heard before he exploded, “Fuck Lindsey, you mean you didn’t tell her or have her permission before doing that. You swore that she agreed and that is why she pre-signed all the documents. That was a really fucked up thing to do, no wonder she walked, I would have, FUCK!!”

Her lip trembled, “Brian, I thought that I was doing the right thing”

Justin piped in, “You were hoping that she would never in out, I agree with Brian, that is really fucked up”

Ben and Michael were too stunned to say anything.

Upstairs, Gus could hear raised voices so he crept to the top of the stairs. Hearing his mother's voice made his heart beat faster. Running back into his bedroom he panicked thinking that she was coming to bring them home.

Glancing around his room he spotted his coat and bag, so he grabbed them putting them on before going to say goodbye once again to JR.

Creeping down the back stairs Gus managed to escape the house out the back door without getting noticed. 

He had a bike by the hedge so he took it and crept out the side gate and took off cycling down the road not knowing where he was going. 

The road was winding and empty, hardly any cars had passed by him. Gus felt tears spring to his eyes but he pushed them back using his inner Kinney. All that he knew was he needed to get out and think.

His little legs paddled for what seemed like hours growing tired and weak from the strain, but before he knew it he was outside the bus station in the village close to his daddy's house. 

Biting his lip Gus locked up his bike and stood there looking at the row of buses that were parked up. He spotted a mother and children boarding a bus to Altoona so he slipped on with them making sure the bus driver thought that he was with them. 

As the bus pulled away from the station Gus let some tears fall, worried that his daddies would be angry with him and no clue what he was going to do now.

Brian sat at the breakfast counter far away from Lindsey for fear of his anger at the moment would take over. Rubbing his face he asked, “Are the papers we signed even legal because they were obviously signed falsely thanks to you?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Lindsey replied, “I don’t know”

Michael started pacing scowling at her, “You better find out and fast. Brian and Melanie may never have got on but she would be furious with this lying to Brian and her, you better get it sorted”

Justin sighed for what seemed like the millionth time at her silence and bad answers, “I’m going to go check on the kids, their hour nap is almost over now anyway”

Brian pulled Justin in for a kiss as he passed by him, looking him in the eye as he spoke, “Thank you”

Smiling Justin kissed him back, “Anytime”

Silence once again came over the kitchen as soon as Justin left making his way upstairs.

The first stop was JR’s room, Justin saw her big beautiful eyes looking back him with a smile on her lips. Going over to her cot Justin smiled back, “Hey sweetie did you enjoy your nap. Wait right here and I’ll be back, just going to check on your brother, OK” he smiled as he got a giggle in reply.

Smiling Justin made his way to Gus’s room and before he even got there he got the feeling that something was wrong and he was right as soon as he stepped in cold dead flowed through him. He could see no trace of Gus anyway, his coat and bag were missing. In a panic, Justin raced from the bedroom with a million and one thoughts running through his head. 

Running as fast as he could heart beating so hard he thought his chest would burst, shouting, “Gus is gone, he is not in his room”

Racing down the stairs Justin missed some steps in his blind panic sending him crashing to the ground banging his head and twisting his ankle. 

The gang just got to the stairs in time to see him fall.

Brian screamed as he raced to his side, “Justin”

Blood poured from the gash on his head, Brian was frantic as he held him, “Someone call a god-dammed ambulance and get me a fucking towel dammit” 

Michael grabbed a towel as fast as he could giving to Brian to help stop the blood, “Jesus, Brian, will he be OK?”

Ben spoke, “The ambulance is on the way and so is Carl about Gus”

Justin moaned coming to, “You have to find him, please. JR is awake, thank god that I didn’t have her in my arms when I fell”

Brian held the towel to Justin’s head, “Stay still, we will find him, don’t worry” but inside Brian was terrified something bad had happened to his Sonnyboy.

Looking up at Lindsey with fire in his eyes, Brian spoke, “This is all your fault, he must have heard your voice and got scared and ran. You will follow us in my Jeep to the hospital” turning to Ben and Michael, “Will you stay with JR here and just in case Gus comes back”

The ambulance arrived moments later and after explaining about Justin’s allergies they carefully manoeuvred him onto the gurney and they were off to the hospital. Ben and Michael stayed and waited for Carl to give him all the details that he needed once he arrived. 

The ambulance ride was tense as flashbacks filled Brian’s mind, the sight of his blond hair stained red with blood was almost too much to bare. The only thing that held him together was the feel of Justin’s hand in his and the fact that he was awake and talking to him all the way there. 

Leaning down Brian placed a kiss on his lips, no words were needed as they both felt the same thing in that moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Carl arrived moments after the ambulance had left to take Justin to the hospital. Ben greeted him at the door, since Michael had gone upstairs to get his daughter who was wide awake.

Ben smiled at the detective. “Thanks for coming, Carl. Justin fell down the stairs and got hurt pretty badly, so Brian took him to the hospital in an ambulance, with Lindsay following them in the Jeep. We stayed to look after JR and be here in case Gus comes back,” he explained.

Nodding, Carl asked, “I hope that Justin will be okay. Is there somewhere that we can sit so I can take down some details them might help with the search for Gus?”

Moving into the kitchen, Ben told Carl everything while Michael paced, holding his little girl in his arms. “The children were having a nap when Lindsay showed up, even though Brian had asked her to stay away.”

Michael interrupted them to interject, “She should have listened! This is all her fault!”

Ben smiled at his husband as he continued, “Things got a bit heated, so I’m guessing that Gus must have heard his mother's voice, and it probably spooked him. We think that he went out the back way and used the side gate. His bike is also missing, so he must be travelling on that.”

Jotting down some notes, Carl asked, “Can you describe what he was wearing?”

Nodding, Ben replied, “He was wearing jeans and a plain, red, long-sleeved sweater. His coat is a blue winter coat with a grey trim, and he was wearing a backpack with Captain Astro and Rage on it, so it is very distinctive.”

Looking up at Ben, he then asked, “is there anything else you can think of that might help; any idea of the direction he went, or where he might have gone?”

Shaking his head, he looked to Michael, who shrugged his shoulders. “No, we have no idea. You have to find him, Carl, please.”

Putting his notepad in his pocket, Carl stood up. “I will put every man I can on this,” he vowed. “We WILL find him. I have a recent picture I can use for all the alert systems.”

Michael asked, “Does Ma know?”

Shaking his head, Carl replied, “No, not yet. And someone should contact Melanie, if you haven’t already,” he urged them. “Listen, I’d better be going. I’ll keep you informed.”

Ben saw Carl to the door, promising to call her right away.

 

Justin was whisked straight to be examined as soon as they arrived at the emergency room, while Brian was asked to fill out some paperwork. 

Eventually, Brian was allowed by his side as they were stitching him up. 

The doctor smiled at Brian as he entered, noticing the concerned look on his face. “Don’t worry, his head is fine; head wounds tend to bleed a lot.”

Brian gave a weak smile while grasping Justin’s hand. “What about his ankle? It’s swelling blowing up like a balloon.”

Finishing up with the stitches, the doctor explained, “We will transport Mr Taylor down to get an x-ray in a few minutes. First, it’s important to take care of this first.”

Swallowing, Brian then asked, “Justin had head trauma before, will this bang to the head affect it?”

Looking to Justin, then back to Brian, she replied, “We will do a CAT scan as well, but I don’t think this latest injury has exacerbated his previous trauma.” 

Justin smiled at the worried look on his partner’s face. “I’ll be fine, Brian. And thank you, doctor. Will this take long, though? Our son is missing, and we really need to be out there, looking for him.”

Shocked at that news, she sped things along as fast as she could, reassuring the couple before she exited the room that she make sure everything was accelerated, so Justin could be released as soon as possible, once they were sure he hadn’t suffered any lasting effects.

 

Holding hands once again, alone in the cubical, they shared a kiss that showed how they were feeling as the tears silently fell.

Justin spoke softly, “Where could he be, Brian? He was meant to be safe in our home.”

“I know, Sunshine,” Brian whispered softly, his own heart heavy with worry over the boy he loved so deeply. “But we will find him. I promise. Okay?” 

Justin swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded back at him, accepting a quick peck on the lips as they impatiently waited for the doctors to finish up what they needed to do. 

 

Ben picked up the phone and dialed Mel, who picked up after the third ring. Noticing the caller ID, she asked, “Ben, what’s wrong?”

Ben deaded what he had to tell her. “Are you sitting down?”

Worried over the question - that was never a good sign - she responded, “Yeah. Why? What’s going on?”

Sighing deeply, Ben informed her, “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. Gus has gone missing again. Lindsay showed up here at Brian and Justin’s, and her presence here here must have spooked him. Then during the panic to find him, Justin fell down the stairs and Brian had to take him to the emergency room. Carl’s got a lot of his men out looking for him now,” he assured her. 

Fear, anger, and panic ripped through Mel’s body upon hearing that. “She knew we were meant to stay away, and now because she didn’t listen our son has run away again? God knows where he is and what he’s doing, and Justin’s wound up in the ER? What’s next?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ben replied, “Yeah, I know how you feel. That’s pretty much all we know right now; we’ll keep you informed. Why don’t you go to Debbie’s? I’m sure she knows by now about what’s going on, and you can be together instead of alone.”

The scream from the phone that Michael was holding just then confirmed that Debbie did, indeed, know about Gus’s disappearance. 

 

The films from the x-ray and CAT scan came back fast, and thankfully the CAT scan was clear, while the x-ray showed that Justin had suffered a hairline fracture and a very, very bad sprain. So that meant he would need an air cast and crutches for a number of weeks. 

Lindsay sat in the waiting room of the ER and jumped when she saw Justin getting wheeled out, holding crutches and a bandage on his head and looking pretty bruised.

Brian held up a hand, stopping her before she could talk. “Do not say a word, just drive us home, then you can leave. Do you think you can do that without screwing up?”

Nodding, she stayed silent as they made their way home, Brian sitting in the back holding Justin and wondering when their nightmare would end.


	7. Chapter 7

Carl arrived at the station and called everyone together for a briefing. Once they were seated he tacked a photo onto the bulletin board to state,, “This is Gus Peterson-Marcus. He’s five-and-a-half years old, and he’s run away from home. We’re working in conjunction with the West Virginia police to track him down. I want everyone on full alert to bring him home to his parents. Understood?”

Everyone nodded grimly; they hated dealing with cases involving children. No child should be scared or involved with anything that may cause them harm, not to mention the child predators that lurked everywhere now. 

 

Gus didn’t know how long he had travelled; all he knew was that he had seen what seemed like miles and miles of trees, fields and houses pass by. Thoughts raced through his head as he forced himself not to cry again.

The bus came to a stop as the bus driver announced that this was, indeed, the last stop. To avoid attention, Gus did exactly like he had done before when he boarded the bus: he blended in with a mother and her children as if he were a part of their family until he was inside the building. 

Looking around, all Gus could see were people boarding other buses, going about their business. 

Stepping outside once more, he saw a man rooting through a garbage receptacle and pulling out a half-eaten sandwich. Running up to him before the man could eat it, Gus pleaded, “Please don’t eat that, Sir! It’s all dirty.”

The man blushed, feeling ashamed as he looked down at the worried-looking little boy. Clutching the food in his hand, he explained, “I don’t have a choice, young man. I’m hungry and I don’t have any money.”

Gus’s face fell upon hearing that, so he reached out to take one of the man’s hands in his as he told him, “I have money. I can buy you something to eat. please don’t eat that!”

Crouching down to the same level as the earnest-looking boy, the man teared up. It had been a long time since anyone had cared about him. “That’s very kind of you,” he told him in a choked voice, “but you don’t have to.”

Wiping a tear that fell from his eye, Gus bit his lip. “Please, Sir, let me. I want to.”

Looking around, the homeless man noticed that there was no adult with him, so he asked, “Is someone here with you?”

Gus knew that he had to lie. He couldn’t tell him that he had run away. Thinking quickly for an explanation, he replied, “They’re waiting for a bus to get here, but they can see me, so it’s okay. My name is Gus. What’s your name?”

Shaking his hand with a smile, the man introduced himself. “I’m Alesky Kowalski.”

Gus beamed, his troubles temporarily forgotten. “That means ‘Defender Of The Land’ and ‘Blacksmith,’ right?”

Alesky was astounded. “Yes, yes, it does. That’s amazing! How did you know?”

Feeling proud of himself, Gus told him, “One of my teachers is Polish, and he loves to teach us the meaning of names. It’s so much fun!”

A few minutes later, Gus and Alesky were sitting in a small cafe, both of them enjoying their dinner, since Gus had ordered something for himself as well, finding that he, too, was hungry. 

Despite Gus’s previous assurance that his parents were nearby and keeping an eye on him, Alesky had an uneasy feeling that something was wrong; he would steal glances around, and never once saw anyone who seemed to be keeping an eye on this compassionate, intelligent, little boy. He silently swore that he would find out what was going on, and make sure that the little boy would be safe and back with his parents, wherever they were, before they parted ways.

Temporarily forgetting his own troubles, Gus swung his little legs back and forth as he asked, “Alesky, what do you do?”

Alesky swallowed before he replied, “I used to own my own bakery called ‘Moments In Time.’ I loved to create things for people.”

Gus frowned. “What happened to it?”

Alesky gave his companion a sorrowful smile. “Someone who I thought was a friend stole everything from me, so I couldn’t pay my bills and wound up losing both my bakery and my house.”

Making a sad face, Gus replied, “That wasn’t very nice of him.”

Shaking his head, Alesky responded, “No, you’re right. It wasn’t.”

Lorrie, the owner of the café, overheard them and made plans to talk to Alesky. She was familiar with the man’s bakery, and recalled how good the food had been. He was obviously down on his luck, so she silently wondered if he might be willing to teach her staff how to create the wonderful pastries that his shop used to sell. 

 

Brian and Justin arrived back home at the same time that Carl and a member of his team arrived to assist them. 

Helping Justin out of the car, Brian anxiously asked the older man, “Any news on our sonny boy?”

Sighing, Carl told them, “We did find his bike at the local bus station, so we sent pictures out with an amber alert and asked all the local media to broadcast his photo, along with the information we have as of now. I think it’s likely he’s hopped on a bus heading out of town. I’ve got every available man out looking for him. I am very confident we will have him home tonight.”

Holding Justin, Brian rubbed his face with his free hand, his heart heavy with worry. “I hope so, Carl, I really do.”

Lindsay stood by, not saying a word and wondering what to do next.

Brian looked at her darkly. “You can leave now, and don’t come back until I call you.”

“But, Brian,” Lindsay protested, “I’m his mother! I should be here when he gets back!”

Throwing her an angry glare, Brian reminded her, “He wouldn’t have run if you had just listened in the first place! Go to Debbie’s. Mel is there right now.” Before Lindsay could open her mouth, Brian relented just a bit. “I promise I will call you as soon as we know anything else.”

Wiping a tear away, Lindsay nodded her head, knowing this was one battle she wouldn’t win. “Okay...Thank you,” she murmured as Brian gave her a curt nod in return. Hesitating for just a moment, she finally walked over to her car to open the door and drove away. 

Kissing Justin on the side of the head, Brian whispered tenderly, “Let’s get you settled on the couch.”

 

Debbie paced, muttering; Mel could not understand a word she was saying. It was around four o’clock when Lindsay showed up, crying. Not a word was said as she made her way inside and sat on the couch. The tension was too thick for words. 

 

The bus driver still could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with the little boy who had been a passenger on his bus earlier. Flipping on his Ipad, he checked social media, and up popped a picture of the little boy. His instincts had been right; the child had been reported as missing. Looking out from his bus’s front windshield, he was relieved to discover the child sitting in the café eating. “Thank God,” he murmured, as he pulled on the lever to open the bus door and stepped out onto the pavement. 

 

Bernardyn made sure to tell Lorrie what he was doing before approaching the table in an effort not to spook the child. He did notice that Alesky was with him, so he knew that he was in good hands; he and the other man had gone to school together many years ago. Just as he was about to walk over to them, he heard someone say, “Gus, is that you?”

Gus looked over to see Dave nearing his table. “Dave, you’re here!”

Taking a seat next to Gus, he nodded. “Yes, I am. Who are you here with, and what you are doing here, Gus?”

Gus bit his now wobbling lip as he admitted, “I ran away again.”

Hugging Gus, Dave spoke, “Oh, Gus! Why? Son, let me take you home again,” he urged him, peering over at the other man at the table looking at them. “Who is your friend, Gus?”

Now smiling, he told Dave, “This is Alesky. He’s a baker.”

Dave shook his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Alesky.”

Alesky smiled as he accepted the handshake. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Bernardyn then approached their table and tapped Dave on the shoulder, showing him the post on his Ipad about Gus. “I just thought that you should know about this; I was just about to call about it when you arrived.”

Shaking his hand as well, Dave nodded at him. “Thank you. My name’s Dave; I’m a friend of the family.”

Sitting next to them, “It's very nice to meet you, Dave, I’m Bernardyn; I was Gus’s bus driver earlier.” He peered at the little boy as he asked, “Gus, you DO know this man, right?” Nowadays, he figured you couldn’t be too careful. 

Beaming, Gus nodded. “Yes, of course I know Dave!” he verified as if it should be obvious. He smiled at Bernardyn. “You know that you are the best bus driver ever? Your name means ‘blessed.’ Did you know that?” he asked. 

Shaking his head, Bernardyn replied with a smile of his own, “No, I didn’t know that; that is really cool.”

Giving Gus one more hug, Dave said, “Can you stay here for a moment? I’m going to go call your dads, okay? They’ve been really worried about you.”   
Alesky reassured him, “Don’t worry; we will stay here with him.”

Smiling his thanks, he went to make his call. 

 

Brian rubbed his hands through his hair; the ticking of the clock grew louder and slower as the time passed with his Sonnyboy missing. The sudden sound of the phone ringing made them all jump.

Snatching the phone up as fast as he could, Brian spoke with a shaky voice, “Hello! Did you find my son? Please, tell me you found my boy!” 

To Brian’s immense relief, he recognized the voice as Dave replied, “Hi, Brian! Good news! Yeah, it’s Dave, and he’s right here. He’s fine,” he assured him.

Collapsing back onto the couch, tears fell from his eyes as he let out a tense breath. “Where did you find him, Dave?”

Justin sat up straighter, relieved as well, as Carl approached Brian, extremely curious to find out more details. 

Dave told him, “Would you believe at the bus station in Altoona? He’s fine. He had someone watching over him, and the bus driver actually figured out he was a runaway, and was about to call when I spotted him. He was very lucky to have met some really kind and caring people here at the bus station.”

Clearing his throat, Brian asked, “Can you please put my Sonnyboy on the phone?”

Handing the phone to Gus, Dave said, “Your dad wants to talk to you.”

Taking the phone from Dave, Gus spoke into it with a shaky voice as he told his father, “I’m sorry, Daddy! I got scared when I heard mommy’s voice! Please don’t be mad at me!”

Brian smiled, tears still streaming down his face. “I’m not mad at you, Sonnyboy! Dave told me you met some nice people?”

Gus’s face lit up then. “Oh, Daddy! I did. Alesky was going to eat out of the trashcan, but I didn’t let him. I bought him dinner, oh, and guess what? He’s a baker! And then the bus driver, Bernardyn, he’s really nice, and he was going to call you before Dave did.”

Laughing at Gus’s excited babbling, Brian told his son, “I’m proud of you for buying him dinner. I can’t wait to see you, Sonnyboy.”

Gus beamed an even bigger smile. “I can’t wait to see you, Daddy, and Daddy Justin!”

They talked for a few more minutes before Dave spoke with Brian, telling him he would bring Gus home and not to worry.

The goodbyes to Alesky and Bernardyn were filled with tears and hugs, and Gus told Alesky he hoped that he would bake again.

 

As soon as Brian hung up the phone, he fell into Justin’s arms, crying his heart out in relief that his little boy was safe and coming home. 

Carl blew out a long breath of thanks to the heavens before getting on the phone to let the department know that the child had been found, explaining that a family friend had located him and was bringing him home, so the photos could be taken down. 

The next call Carl made was to Debbie to let her know and the mothers knowing that they were both there that Gus was safe and sound and on his way his home. 

 

Michael and Ben sat nearby, holding JR with tears in their eyes and thankful that all was ok.

Today was a day he prayed none of them would ever repeat.


	8. Chapter 8

Luckily Dave has kids so he already had an approved child’s boosters seat for Gus to sit on. 

Dave glanced in the rear-view mirror at a worried looking Gus, in a soothing voice he spoke to him, “Your daddies and mommies won’t be angry Gus, they will understand, so no need to be worrying, all right” 

Nodding his head Gus sighed, “I don’t want them to hate me, I love them and I want my mommies to get help to stop fighting”

Smiling at Gus, Dave replied, “They don’t hate you, they love you. Your daddies will help them because they love you all”

Hopeful that Dave was right, Gus responded, “Thank you for bringing me again Dave, you are very kind”

Giving his thanks, Dave and Gus remained quiet for the rest of the drive home.

Lorrie joined Alesky and Bernardyn at their table, “Hi guys, sorry I couldn’t help overhear your conversation, but first well done helping the young boy. Anyway Alesky, I heard you tell him that you were a baker and you owned, ‘Moments In Time’ bakery. I LOVED that bakery, I was so upset when It closed, I didn’t know why until I heard you tell him. So what I want to is to offer you a job here, it comes with an apartment upstairs and it will include utilities of course, so what do you say?”

Alesky’s mouth dropped open at what she had just said, did she seriously just offer him a job and a home, “Are you serious, you are offering me a job and a home?” 

Nodding Lorrie replied, “I’m very serious, I’m looking to hire and what I know of your qualifications, you are perfect, so please say yes”

Alesky’s eyes filled with tears, “Yes, yes I’d love to work for you”

Jumping up shouting with glee shaking his hand Lorrie spoke, “Oh brilliant, I’ll run and get you your apartment key and after we close up here we will go get food and stuff that you need” clapping her hands, “This is going to be amazing”

Bernardyn and Alesky watched her dash away to get the key, Bernardyn turned to Alesky and said, “You realise your life has just changed for the better and all because that little boy bought you dinner and took the time to get to know you”

Wiping a tear away that fell, Alesky smiled, “I can’t believe it, I hope that I get to meet my guardian angel again someday”

Mickey handed a now sleeping JR to Ben who held her close before moving her to her downstairs sleeping area.

Sitting next to Brian, Mickey placed a hand on his shoulder, “You need anything, can I get you a drink or something or maybe food?”

Shaking his head giving his best friend a smile, “Maybe some water, I could use some but no food right now”

Getting up Mickey placed a kiss on his cheek, “No problem, I’ll go get it for you”

Letting out a long breath Brian looked at Justin, “I think that I better call Lindsey, I think I was too hard on her”

Taking one of Brian’s hands in his kissing the back of it Justin smiled, “I think that is a good idea, they are hurting just as much as we are”

Leaning into Justin’s touch Brian sighed, “Yeah, you are right Sunshine”

Taking the water from Mickey with thanks he got out his phone and hit speed dial 2, it was answered right away, “Lindsey, how are you all holding up. Sorry that I snapped at you, this is just all so much, you know”

Lindsey had tears streaming down her face as she spoke, “I understand Brian, We would have reacted in the same way if the situations were reversed. can’t believe how things have gotten so out of hand”

Closing his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose Brian replied, “It happens, promise me that you will both sit with Justin and I and talk about what is going on and be fully honest with as to why things are how they are with the two of you. As to why you are fighting so much otherwise, we can’t help you. We will look after the kids until things calm down and you are ready to have them back. I get the feeling that you are not in the right headspace right now, am I right?”

Lindsey answered wishing that she had a different answer, “You are right Brian. We are not in the right headspace to look after them right now, do you think that we can still see them, have contact?”

Running his hands over his face he replied, “Of course you can, you both can. They love you and just want their mommy’s to be OK. Lind’s can you put Mel on, I want to talk to her as well” 

Lindsey handed the phone to Mel, “He wants to talk to you”

Taking the phone she spoke, “Hi Brian”

Leaning back now into the couch Brain replied, “Mel how are you holding up. I know this is hell on earth and I don’t want you to feel like we are leaving you out or something. Did you hear my conversation with Lindsey? If you did do you agree?”

Clutching the phone Mel nodded into it, “I did and I do, I hate it but I do agree, they come first and I promise that we will be honest with you both when we sit and talk. When Dave arrives home with Gus can you call us and tell us please?”

Shaking his head thinking as if he wouldn’t call when their son arrived home, “I promise, he should be here soon, so I’ll let you know. I’ll let you go for now”, both hanging up the emotion in the air was thick with the arrival of Gus coming very soon. 

What seemed like forever passed when Brian's head shot up with the sounds of a car engine pull up.

Dashing from the room he was in with the others he ran as fast as his feet could carry him, flinging the front door open to see Dave’s car pull up outside the house.

As soon as the car stopped Brian was opening the car door unbuckling his son from the car seat taking him in his arms, “Oh Sonnyboy, you are home at last”

Gus clung to his daddy as tight as he could crying his little heart out, “I’m sorry daddy, I love you, please don’t be angry, please don’t hate me, I’m sorry”

Kissing his son’s cheek Brian held close, “I could never hate you and I’m not angry, we all love you so much, you are my Sonnyboy”

Dave joined the others who watched on as father and son went on hugging. Justin was the first to speak to him giving him a hug, “Thank you for being our hero again, we will be eternally grateful”

Blushing Dave replied, “I um, I was just in the right place at the right time. Gus really is a great kid”

Brian finally let Gus back down so he could greet the others and he did running to Justin hugging just as tight as he did with his daddy, “Love you daddy Justin”

Justin hugged him back, “Love you to Gus, so happy to have you home”

The all made their way inside so Gus could call his mommy’s and rest, they were all sure that he must be worn out from what he had been through.


	9. Chapter 9

Lorrie spoke fast like an excited child as she locked up the Café, it made Alesky chuckle as she was so animated.

Laughing she turned to him putting the keys in her bag, “Sorry, sorry, I tend to talk really fast when I am this excited about something and having you come work with me is definitely something to be excited about”

Ducking his head with a smile and a blush Alesky replied, “Thank you, I can’t even begin to tell you what this means to me”

Looping her arm in his she led him to her car, “I can see it on your face what it mean and I get the feeling that we are going to become the best of friends, now let's get shopping”

Shopping with Lorrie was an experience and a half, shopping carts filled fast with clothes of all kinds that he would need. As it turned out they had the same taste in them and with shoes. They picked up a uniform for him to wear which she had the store embroider his name on it. 

Picking up swimwear Lorrie spoke louder than she expected to, “Alesky, would you like speedo’s or trunks?”

They both blushed then burst out laughing at all the looks that came their way.

The food shop a bit better and they had everything that they needed, once everything was bagged and in the car, Lorrie drove them back to the apartment over the Café where Alesky would now live. As they drove she asked, “Do you have a valid licence to drive?”

Nodding he answered, “I do, In fact, I even have one that allows me to drive a truck, if it's needed”

Pulling into the parking space she turned to him, “Oh brilliant, I’ll get you on the insurance on the spare car and the work van. The spare car is just sitting there so you may as well use it instead of it going to waste”

Alesky scratched his head, so much was happening at once, “Will you set me up a payment plan so that I can pay you for all of those please?”

Rolling her eyes Lorrie replied, “You are not paying me back for these and the insurance is covered, all you need to do is to pay for gas and your food after this, OK, so please suck up lol”

A shuddering sob escaped him as his emotions spilt over, “I, this is all so much. I can’t wait to start working and to be honest, I can’t wait for a decent shower and to sleep in a real bed tonight” 

Laying a hand on his shoulder she smiled, “Enjoy every second, come on let's get you settled so you can eat and rest”

The apartment was really warm and cosy and after Lorries helped him put away everything they had bought. Once alone Alesky put on the TV and did as she suggested he relaxed in the shower and made something to eat he just sat on his couch, it felt like heaven. Later that night tucked up in his own bed he slept so soundly and comfortably he thought it had to be a dream. 

Gus had a great talk with his mothers on the phone and after hanging up he crawled onto his dad's lap, “Daddy, I’m hungry”

Holding his son close kissing the top of his head, “What would you like to eat?”

Playing with the buttons on his dad's shirt he replied, “Can I have a grilled cheese with a smiling face, please?”

Smiling now Brian nodded, “Of course you can come help me make it”

Justin watched as they left adding that he would like one as well.

Michael and Ben sighed from weariness. 

Michael then spoke, “Why don’t we take JR home and let you guys be, we can come back tomorrow”

Rubbing his face Justin sighed deeply then showing a smile, “Why don’t you stay, It’s late and I’m sure you are as worn out by all this as we are”

Ben agreed, “We are, to be honest and thank you we would love to stay, why don’t I go help them make the sandwiches for us all”

Smiling at Ben, Justin replied, “That would be great thank you”

Watching Ben leave Justin turned to Michael, “You have a really good man there”

Michael smiled really wide, “I’m really lucky” 

A few minutes late Brian called from the kitchen, “Food is ready, come and get it”

Michael picked up JR and followed Justin into the kitchen. 

Sitting at the table Brian placed Gus’s one in front of him it did have a smiling face on it, with sliced tomato for the red lips and Wooster sauce for the brown eyes, that made Gus laugh. 

He then placed Justin’s in front of him, it had a huge sun with a big smile on. Mickey got a superhero and Ben got a Buddha, while JR got her favourite mashed banana. 

Justin bumped shoulders with Brian when he sat next to him, “What did you get on yours?”

Showing him, Justin nearly spat out his food from laughing. On Brian’s was a huge dick carved right into it. 

The only sound after that were the contented sounds of eating, which was far better than the sounds of worried beating hearts. 

Later that night after his bath a new warm pyjamas Gus was tucked up in bed with Brian lying on one side and Justin on the other side of him.

Running his fingers through his son’s hair Brian spoke, “So glad to have you home Sonnyboy, daddy Justin and I will do everything that we can to help your mommies, OK. So you will be staying here with us until we do”

Leaning into his dad's side Gus asked, “Will I still get to see JR”

Nodding Brian smiled, “Of course, you will and you can visit your mum’s as well if you want to”

Sighing snuggling even closer to his dad, “Thank you, daddy, daddy does you think I can visit Alesky and Bernardyn sometime, they were really nice to me?”

Kissing the top of his head Brian shared a look of pride with Justin, “Of Course you can, now why don’t you snuggle down and let daddy Justin tell his famous bedtime story”

Turning into Justin’s side Gus smiled closing his eyes, “I think that is a great idea daddy”

Justin’s eyes misted over as he began, “Once upon a time, there was a prince named Gus...” it wasn’t long before they all fell asleep. Luckily it was a big bed so it did fit them all. 

Michael found them like that on his way to bed, so he took the extra blanket out of the press and covered them all up.

Getting into bed with his husband Michael shared a kiss with him before resting his head on his chest, “Thank god all turned out OK, I can’t imagine what it would be like if this happened with JR”

Holding Michael close Ben closed his eyes as a shudder passed through him, “I can’t either, let’s go to sleep try and get some rest”

Closing his eyes Michael agreed, “Yeah, let's” moments later the whole house was asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

A few days had passed, and as promised, Gus did get to see his little sister JR. If it wasn’t in person, he at least had the chance to see her on video chat, and it really made him feel so much better.

Michael, Ben, and JR turned up early that evening as Brian and Justin were going to go have a talk with the girls. Thankfully, Gus was excited to hang out with his uncles and JR.

Brian bent down to give his son a hug goodbye as he asked him, “You’ll look after your uncles and sister for us, won’t you?”

Giggling, Gus nodded. “I will, Daddy; they are always good for me.”

Grinning at his son, he responded with a smile, “That’s very good to know.”

Biting his lip, Gus then looked his dad in the eye. “Will you be okay talking to my mommies?”

Hugging his son, Brian closed his eyes as he reassured him, “I’ll be fine, Sonnyboy, don’t worry.”

Justin then came over, hugging Gus as he promised him, “I’ll look after him, Gus. It’s going to be okay.”

Hugging Justin back, Gus smiled. “I know you will, Daddy Justin.”

The drive to the restaurant where they were meeting the girls was long, both thinking about how the conversation might go. 

 

Mel and Lindsay must have changed their clothes about ten times before leaving the house. Somehow they thought that this would be a make-or-break conversation. They were thankful that it was happening in public, as things were less likely to blow up that way.

The restaurant was beautiful, with very private booths where you could sit and talk without fear of anyone eavesdropping. Having been seated a few minutes earlier, the two women nodded as they noticed Brian and Justin approaching them, giving both men a greeting before they joined them in the seat opposite to where they were sitting.

The silence stretched on around the table, none of them speaking other than to give the waiters their order as they silently took sips of their ice water. 

Rolling her eyes, Mel finally stated, “One of us has to start saying something, so first off thank you for coming. Is Gus okay?”

Justin took another sip of his water; sensing Brian wasn’t ready to talk, he replied, “He’s doing great. He isn’t worrying so much now, knowing that you are trying to get help.”

Lindsay looked at Mel before replying, “That’s great to hear; we were really worried about him.”

Brian finally spoke up, flatly stating, “Let’s cut the bullshit! Why were you fighting? And don’t lie or leave anything out, or I swear you will regret it.” 

Sighing deeply, Mel took the lead as she reached to grasp her wife’s hand, explaining, “It’s a number of things, really, starting with some uncertainty with both our jobs being either eliminated altogether, or our hours being cut back. We had trouble finding a nursery for JR, too. But the biggest issue was that we both wanted to have more children at the same time, but we were turned down by every place we went. Then Gus started asking to see you more and more, and all this tension built and built until it just spilt over.” 

Silence once again reigned over the table until Brian spoke again, his lips pressed tightly together as he tried to control his anger before continuing. “First of all, Gus can see me anytime he wants for however long he wants, so don’t you ever stop him from doing that. Second, your jobs are fine now; otherwise, you’d be freaking out even more. Third, you tell me you want more children; why?”

Lindsay took over the conversation then as she told him, “Yes, our jobs are fine now, and Gus is welcome to come and see you anytime. As for wanting more children, we do; we want to add to our family. We were going to ask the two of you to be the fathers, but we didn’t know how you would feel about that?”

Justin raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You wanted us to father your children?”

Mel nodded, “We did, we still do; but it’s a hard topic to bring up.”

Sharing a look with Brian, the two men seemed to have a conversation without words right there in front of them before Justin seemed to give his partner a slight nod. 

Brian turned his attention back to the two women to advise them, “We’ll do it; but ONLY on the condition that you both get counseling first and get the help you need. We want to keep our parental rights, the same as we have with Gus. It’s only fair. We want to be fathers to these kids in every sense of the word.”

Mel and Lindsay did the same thing; they conducted a silent conversation before Mel answered, “Agreed; We...We weren’t sure how you would react, but we don’t know how to thank you both.”

Leaning forward, Brian warned them sternly, “Just don’t fuck this up, and get both of your acts together for the sake of our children. That’s the best way you can thank us.” 

Crying now, Lindsay nodded. “We will, Brian; we promise.”

 

Stunned, Justin sat in the passenger seat as they drove home after seeing the girls safely to their car. He turned his head to look over at Brian to comment, “Brian, who would have thought that it was going to go like this? We just agreed to father their children.”

Reaching over, Brian took one of Justin’s hands in his. “Our children. Remember, we are getting equal rights. We can work out shared custody later. But before all this happens, they need to get help.”

 

Gus leapt into their arms as soon as they came through the door, asking, “How’d it go, Daddy?”

Hugging his son, he smiled as he told him, “It went very well, your mommies agreed to get help, so everything is going to be okay.”

Cheering, Gus kissed his dad's cheek. “Thank you, Daddy. I love you. You, too, Daddy Justin.”

Both men teared up as Brian told him, “We love you, too, Sonnyboy.”


	11. Chapter 11

Mel and Lindsay found a counselor that they both liked. He was named Philip, and seemed to understand their situation right away, not even blinking in reaction to their unorthodox family dynamics. 

He saw them together and separately so that they could open up as much as they wanted to. It really helped that he included Gus in some of their family sessions, also, as he was at an age where he was understanding things. They saw the light come back into their little boy the more he talked. 

 

Gus sat on a blanket with JR on the patio playing with her, not noticing all the eyes watching him as he did.

Michael asked Brian, “What’s that he playing with her?”

Brian smiled as he watched the two sibling interacting. “Gus claps his hands singing, ‘clap, clap toes, clap, clap knees, clap, clap tickle,’ and then he touches her toe and knee when he says it, and then tickles her. It makes her laugh every time.” He loved to hear the sound of their laughter. It was a good sound. 

Gus laughed as he sang the song over and over, loving the fact that his sister seemed to enjoy the game that he had made up just for her.

JR giggled as she began to copy him and clapped all of a sudden. 

Gus cheered. “Good girl, JR! Do it again!” And the game started once more: “Clap, clap toes. Clap, clap knees, clap, clap tickle!” She giggled, touching her brother’s toes and then his knees before wiggling her fingers as she tried to mimic her brother’s actions. Gus laughed in delight as his sister copied him as best she could before he heard her say, “G-G-U-S!”

Gus’s mouth dropped open as did all the adults. JR had just said her first word, and it was his name!

Michael grabbed Brian’s wrist as he exclaimed, “Did you hear that?” 

Rushing over, they all bent down by the two as Gus looked at them, his eyes wide in amazement. “JR said my name!”

Lindsay kissed his cheek, tears prickling her eyes. “She did, didn’t she?”

Mel choked up as she wrapped her arms around both of them. “Wow, Gus! You have been amazing with her, and now her first word was your name!”

Gus hugged his little sister as he murmured, “Love you, JR.”

JR smiled, clapping, grabbing toes and knees as everyone watched her; for once the air was filled with laughter instead of tears.

 

Lindsey sat on their couch in their home; they had just returned from visiting with their children. Glancing at her wife, she smiled. They hadn’t fought in weeks, and things were really getting better.

Mel soon joined her on the couch as she rested her head against the back of it, “Can you believe that JR’s first word was Gus?”

Eyes bright with emotion, Lindsay smiled. “It sure was... and I’m so glad we were there to hear it.”

Holding hands, unspoken words were exchanged as they made their way upstairs to make love.

 

As Brian was tucking Gus into bed, Gus asked him, “Daddy, can we go visit Alesky and Bernardyn? I would like to see them again.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Brian exchanged a smile with Justin, who was perched on the other side. “I don’t see why not. I’ll call and find out where they are, and arrange it for as soon as I can, okay?” He was grateful for the two men who had watched over his son. Just the thought of what might have happened to him if they hadn’t kept him safe made chills run down his spine. Nodding and smiling wide, Gus hugged his dad, “Thank you.”

Kissing the top of his son’s head, Brian told him softly, “Any time, Sonnyboy. You want Daddy Justin and me to tell you a story tonight?”

Clapping his hands in anticipation, Gus replied, “Yes, please.”

Justin laughed as he sat on the other side of Gus, telling the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, complete with voices. Once Gus was asleep, they left the room with Brian scratching his head.

Justin frowned, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Looking at Justin, Brian replied, “It’s that story; it’s always bothered me.”

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Justin asked, “Why does it bother you?”

Leaning against the wall, Brian explained, “For one, she broke into someone’s house; that’s breaking and entering. Two, she stole their food; that’s theft. Three, she broke their furniture; that’s property damage, and finally, she slept in their beds, which was trespassing. That girl was not arrested or charged for any of that. What kind of message is that sending out to the children? Don’t even get me started on Little Red Riding Hood and nursery rhymes!”

 

Laughing with tears falling down his face, Justin asked, “What’s your problem with Little Red Riding Hood and nursery rhymes?”

Sighing, Brian started, “Think about that girl's mother who sent her off into the woods on her own, knowing that there was a wolf out there. Child Protective Services should have been called, and for her to find the wolf dressed in her grandmother's clothes, that’s got to have caused years of therapy right there. As for the nursery rhymes, listen, in one you have three blind mice - they were BLIND, Justin! - and they were being chased by a woman with a carving knife to cut off their tails! What did they ever do to her? Then, you have a baby in a cradle who someone thought it was wise to put it up in a tree in a storm, then to tell the baby that if the bough breaks, they will fall; that’s another child that needs protecting right there.   
Then you have a dish running off with a spoon to have an affair - I’m guessing with the cows that were jumping over the moon - and in another you have blackbirds baked in a pie, and when it’s cut open they begin to sing. Seriously, people, that has got to traumatize kids!” 

Justin peered over at him, his mouth agape, as his partner continued, “Then you have the three men in a tub rhyme; Don't you think telling kids that young about a polygamous relationship is a bit premature? Then, there’s this hickory dickory dock, you have mice running up clocks. Now, either a pet mouse got loose, or they have definite vermin control issues; seriously, Justin! What are we telling our kids? What about that old woman who lives in a shoe, Justin, with all those kids, and how did she get them? Where was Social Services, and why didn't they check her out to see if she was ok? And why not give them a house? Then there’s that brother and sisters Hansel and Gretel, going to that house made out of candy, and then some witch tries to boil them in a freaking pot! Oh, and another... Humpty Dumpty! He didn't fall, he was pushed! And those King’s men covered it up! And who said he was an egg, huh? Then you have Jack and that beanstalk. I’m sorry; it's all scary shit, with a giant living up there!” 

 

Justin was now on the floor; he was laughing so hard he thought that he would hurt himself.

Brian stood over him, looking serious. “What are you laughing at? That shit is scary! It could scar a child for life!”

Wiping the tears of laughter away, Justin stood back up, hugging Brian. “You’re right, Dad. I never thought of those stories or nursery rhymes like that before. They ARE pretty violent.”

Hugging Justin around the waist, Brian pulled him closer as he grumbled, “Yeah, well, I want Gus and JR to hear happy stories, not get scared to death!”

Kissing the tip of Brian’s nose, Justin smiled. “We can make sure that never happens, okay?”

Nodding, Brian closed his eyes with a sigh. “Okay.” 

Brushing his lips against Brian’s, Justin spoke seductively, “How about we go to bed and find something to distract us? Do you think that you can think of something?”

Pressing his body against Justin’s so could feel his arousal, Brian smiled. “I believe that I can think of something.” Before Justin knew it, he was flung over Brian’s shoulder, carried into their bedroom, and dropped onto their bed. 

Climbing up onto the bed and leaning over Justin, Brian smiled down at him. “So, what do you have in mind?”

Grasping Brian by his tee-shirt, he pulled him down and kissed him deeply. “Everything.”

Giving his lover a wicked grin, Brian did just that, starting with trailing kisses from head to toe.


	12. Chapter 12

Brian hung up the phone and turned to smile at Justin, “It’s all arranged; we can go see Alesky and Bernardyn tomorrow. We won’t tell Gus; I think we’ll just surprise him, okay?”

Showing his biggest smile, Justin came over to hug Brian as he nodded. “I think that’s a great idea! He’ll be so happy.”

 

Morning came as Brian went to wake his son. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he put his hand on his shoulder as he urged him tenderly, “Morning, sleepyhead! Time to wake up.”

Gus smiled as he opened his eyes to see his dad sitting there. “Morning, Daddy!”

Leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead, his father replied, “Morning, Sonnyboy! It’s time to get up, we have a full day ahead.”

Rubbing his eyes, Gus asked, What are we doing today, Daddy?”

Smiling down at his son, he mysteriously replied, “We’re going on an adventure. It's a surprise. So get up and go get washed and dressed, so we can have breakfast before we leave.” 

Jumping out of bed, Gus hugged and kissed his dad. “Okay, Daddy! I’ll be fast, but get Daddy Sleepy-Head out of bed, too,” he told his father, running off and laughing as he did. 

Brian laughed as he stood and went to do just that; he knew that waking up Justin was like waking up the dead at times.

 

It wasn’t long before they all sat around the breakfast table. Gus was bouncing in the chair with excitement. “Where are we going, Daddies?”

Putting down his coffee, Brian grinned over his son’s anticipation. “It’s still a surprise, but I promise that you will like it.”

Smiling widely, Gus replied, “I can’t wait, I’m so excited!”

Justin leant into him, whispering, “Me, too, Gus.”

Packing the car for two kids for a day trip was like packing for a week’s holiday. Shaking his head, Brian went back in to get the rest of the family so they could set off on the trip. He had to admit that he was looking forward to meeting the men who had helped his son.

 

Justin reached over, covering one of Brian’s hands as they drove. Both kids were happy with the DVD playing in the back of the car. Justin asked as he squeezed Brian’s hand, “You okay?”

Turning his hand so he could hold Justin’s, he replied, “I’m fine; just excited to get there now.”

Lifting the hand to his, Justin placed a kiss on the back of it. “Love you.”

Pulling the hand to his own lips, Brian returned the kiss. “Love you, too, Sunshine.”

Looking in the rear-view mirror, Brian could see his son smiling and chatting away with his sister, who was looking at him and listening to every word that he was saying.

Justin noticed this and smiled at the pure joy on his partner's face.

Just as the DVD ended, they pulled into a parking space. It was only then that Gus noticed where they were. Gazing out the window, he gasped. “Daddy, this is where I was! I met Bernardyn and Alesky here! Oh, Daddy, maybe we will see them here! Can we go look, please?”

Standing outside the car, holding his son’s hand while Justin held JR, Gus looked around, scanning for familiar faces that he wanted to see.

Suddenly he spied Bernardyn standing nearby; Gus’s eyes grew wide as he let go of his dad's hand and ran up to him, shouting “Bernardyn!” and jumping into his arms. 

Lifting the little boy off the ground, the man hugged him. “Hey, little guy! How have you been keeping yourself?”

Pulling back to look into his face, Gus smiled. “I’m great! I’m here with my Daddies and my sister. You okay? Is Alesky okay?”

Nodding, he replied, “He’s doing great, and I’m very well, thank you. I’ll show you where he is in a minute, but first why don’t you introduce me to your daddies and sister?”

Letting the boy down, Gus then took the man’s hand, bringing him over to where they stood. “Daddies, JR, this is Bernardyn. He’s the brilliant bus driver who helped me.”

Smiling and shaking his hand, Brian replied, “I’m Brian, Gus’s biological father, and this is his other dad, Justin, and his sister JR.”

Bernardyn smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you. I was so worried that day. I was glad your friend showed up; I was just about to call the authorities when he did.”

Brian nodded with a sigh. “We were very lucky that he did; it’s the second time Dave found him. Thank you for looking after our son.”

Waving it off and blushing, the man assured him, “It was no trouble. It was Alesky who helped the most that day.”

Gus looked up at him, the little boy asked, “Where is Alesky now; is he still homeless?”

Shaking his head, he smiled at Gus. “Let me show you; follow me.”

They all followed him to the café as Gus explained, “There is where we had food. I bought his dinner here, so he didn’t have to eat out of the garbage bin.”

Justin ruffled his hair with his free hand. “We are very proud of you for doing that.”

Brian shared a loving, proud look with his partner before entering the café.

 

The place was buzzing as they stepped inside, but as soon as they did Gus spotted Alesky behind the counter straight away. His little voice screeched in delight. “Alesky!”

Alesky looked up hearing his name and spotted Gus. He immediately ran around the counter, scooping him up to give him a big hug. “Gus, you’re okay! Thank God! I was so worried about you.” 

Hugging Alesky, Gus laughed as he replied, “I missed you! Are you working here? I was worried about you, too.”

Nodding, Alesky smiled. “I am, and I have more news. Why don’t we sit down and I can tell you all about it? I just have to go tell Lorrie, the owner.” 

Nodding with a smile, Gus went to join his dads and sister, who were all sitting with Bernardyn at the table. 

Lorrie was very excited to hear that Gus was there to see him, so she told him to go have something to eat with them, and to take his time. 

Alesky joined them at the table, explaining, “Lorrie is going to bring over some food and drinks for us. So, Gus, thanks to you I got a home to live in, a car, and this job, all because you bought me dinner that day. You saved my life that day, Gus, and I can’t thank you enough.” He turned to to Brian and Justin to tell them, “You should be very proud of your son; he gave me my life back.”

Justin was tearing up as Brian had to swallow for fear of bursting into tears himself. 

Gus asked before anyone else could speak, “How did I do that?”

Leaning forward, Alesky smiled at him affectionately. “Remember when you were asking me about my job before I became homeless?” Gus nodded at him as he explained, “Well, Lorrie, who owns this place, overheard you and me, and she remembered my old shop. She gave me this job, a warm bed, and a car. I am very lucky, Gus, and it’s all because you cared enough to make sure I had proper food. Thank you so much.”

Gus rose from his chair to walk around the table to hug him. “You’re welcome, Alesky!”

Brian did then shed a tear, holding Justin’s hand under the table.

 

Conversation flowed for the next two hours around their meal as everyone got to know each other better. They made sure to swap numbers so they could keep in contact.

Justin took JR and Gus to the bathroom while Brian continued to chat with Alesky, since Bernardyn had to go back to work. Alesky sighed. “Brian, Gus is very special; he really did save my life that day, and he didn’t even know me.”

Brian hugged him. “I’m glad. Gus was lucky to have met you as well. I’m so proud of him.”

Looking over at his family coming back from the bathroom, he never felt surer of the love for them than in that moment. 

Saying goodbye was filled with some tears, but also a promise for more visits. Gus was worn out but happy and smiled all the way home, but once in bed he fell asleep straight away with a contented smile still on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

Lindsay and Mel were excited and nervous at the same time. Since their counselling was going so well, it was agreed that they could have the kids stay for a long weekend to see how things would go. Their day visits had gone well, and the kids always came back happy and not afraid, which was what they were aiming for. 

Lindsay turned from making Gus’s bed to smile at Mel. “I can’t wait to spend all this time with them! It’s been such a long time since we did.”

Mel smiled back with a nod. “Yeah, me, too. I’m fucking nervous, though.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lindsay agreed as she replied, “I know what you mean, but I think this will be great, and I’m hoping we can have them move back permanently before Gus’s school starts...unless the one closer to Brian and Justin would be better for him.” She shook her head in amazement. “Who would have thought that we would ever consider letting them live there, instead, and maybe move there when we can?”

Mel sat next to her on the bed, laughing. “I know what you mean. Everyone always thought I would be the one to run off with the kids, rather than let them have them.”

A knock on the front door signalled that the kids had arrived, and the long weekend test began.

 

Earlier that morning....

 

Justin woke first for once and glanced over to see Brian still fast asleep, his head tilted back and his mouth wide open. Laughing to himself - thinking if only others could see the Stud of Liberty Avenue like this - would they ever believe what they were seeing? Of course, no matter what Brian did, he was always sexy to him. 

Getting out of bed without waking up his partner, Justin went to check on the kids. JR was sitting up in her cot, hugging her teddy and smiling up at him.

Going over to her, Justin couldn’t help returning her smile. “Good morning, Beautiful! Did you sleep well?”

JR happily gurgled up at him in response.

Picking her up, he kissed her on her cheek as he told her, “Let's get you a fresh diaper, and then we’ll go fix the sleepy heads some breakfast.”

Changing her diaper was always a challenge as she wiggled and giggled all the time, her legs kicking to and fro as she threatened to pee on his face as she had done before; she had found that very funny. Justin loved these moments as her laughter always brightened up his day; after all, babies are only this carefree for such a short time, so it was right to treasure the times when they were. 

Freshly changed and dressed, Justin picked her back up and made their way down to the kitchen to start the breakfast.

Settling her in her high-chair, he clapped his hands and grinned at her. “So, what should we make them? Pancakes, bacon and eggs, or French toast?” 

JR giggled, waving her arms. 

Rubbing his chin, Justin nodded solemnly. “You’re right, we should make all of them, right? That is a great idea! Thank you, Little Sweet Cheeks.”

As he cooked, Justin chatted away with the little girl as she replied in her baby babble. They didn’t hear both sets of footsteps come into the room a few minutes later.

 

Justin jumped when he felt warm arms circle him from behind with kisses to his neck as a warm whisper brushed his ear. “Morning, Sunshine; some delicious smells drew us from our sleep and down the stairs.”

Snuggling back into Brian’s embrace, the blond smiled. “I’m glad. And your timing is perfect; the food is just now ready to eat.”

Turning in his arms, Justin wrapped his arms around Brian, hugging him close before brushing his lips against his in a morning kiss. “Mmm...Morning.”

Brian returned the kiss with an even deeper one before leaning his forehead against his. “Morning.”

Gus giggled as he watched them, temporarily forgotten. “Morning, Daddy Justin! Can I get a hug, too?”

Letting go of Brian with one last peck on the lips, Justin picked up the little boy and swung him around. “Morning, Gus! Of course, you can! Are you ready for breakfast?”

Smiling, the little boy nodded. “I am, and it smells really yummy, Daddy Justin!”

 

They all sat around the table, eating the wonderful breakfast; even JR began to tackle her food with relish, using her hands to eat, much to everyone’s delight.   
Justin could sense how nervous Brian was by the look in his eyes as he reached across the table to hold his hand, whispering, “Everything will be fine.”

Gus and JR were going to stay with their mothers for the long weekend. It would be the first time in a long time since they had. The two women were doing brilliantly in therapy, so this was their reward to see how they would handle themselves. Even if things went well, it would be a long time before the kids would be permitted to move back home. There was now talk of Gus and JR attending school nearby; it was a challenging but prestigious school, and both men felt it was in their siblings’ best interests. Now all that was left to do was to persuade Mel and Lindsay that it was the best option for the children.

 

Brian helped Gus pack his bag; sitting on the bed, he patted the spot next to him. “Come here, Sonnyboy. I want to talk to you for a moment.”

Gus sat beside him, his big eyes peering up at him anxiously. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

Smiling at his son, Brian assured him, “Nothing is wrong, Gus. I just want to know how you’re feeling about staying with your mommies for the weekend?”

Gus used a very Justin move, which made Brian’s heart swell. He took his dad's hands in his as he told him, “Daddy, we will be okay. Mommy and mama got help, and they’re not fighting now. I’ll look after JR, and I promise not to run away if something happens.”

Putting his arm around his son and hugging him, he closed his eyes, thankful for this special, little boy. “I know you will, because you are the best big brother in the world.”

 

The trip to the girls’ house was filled with Justin singing nursery rhymes to help ease the tension. It was going to be a hard weekend, but Justin truly believed that this was the start of something really great for them all. 

Mel and Lindsay opened the door as soon as the first knock came, and smiled upon seeing their children. 

Mel spoke first, “I can’t believe you’re both here! Please come in! Hey, Gus! JR.”

Gus hugged her, “Mama, I’m so glad to see you! I love you!”

Hugging him back with tears in her eyes, she tenderly responded, “Love you, too, Gus.”

He then ran to his mommy to tell her he loved her and hugged her as well.

Justin handed over JR to Mel as he advised her, “Everything is in the bags. If there is anything else you need, just call us and we’ll bring it over.”

Nodding, Mel smiled, kissing her daughter on the cheek. “Thanks, Justin. And we’d like to thank both of you for this; it really means a lot to us.”

Shrugging his shoulders with a smile, Justin replied, “You do anything for family.”

Brian spoke with Lindsay, as he was the more nervous of the two. “Are you sure that you will be okay with them?”

Lindsey rolled her eyes at him. “Of course; relax. Everything will be fine. If we need anything we will call you, we promise.”

Once satisfied, they left after getting hugs and more promises of calls if they struggled. Silently as they drove home, they both prayed that no calls would come, and that all would be okay. The kids needed time with their mothers, just as the mothers did with their kids. They were good mothers; they needed to see that again.


	14. Chapter 14

Gus sat on the floor playing with some blocks with JR. He loved teaching her to build them up, and he had even more fun teaching her to knock them down. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mom's trying to be careful in everything that they were doing, trying hard to not do anything to upset them.

Shaking his head thinking, ‘grown-ups’, he looked up with a smile to urge them, “Mommies, come play with us.”

Looking at each other Lindsay and Mel laughed, knowing that their son was trying to break the tension, and it worked.

Lindsay and Mel got up and walked over to them. “Sure, we would love to, Gus. How about we all go to the Playdome later, too? Wouldn’t that be fun?” Lindsay asked as she sat down beside them. 

Gus’s eyes lit up in excitement as he beamed back at her. “That would be great! And then you can see Daddy’s picture on the wall there.”

Mel looked at Lindsay, raising an eyebrow, before turning back to Gus to ask, “Why is your Daddy’s picture on the wall in the Playdome?” 

Laughing now, Gus told them, “When Daddy and Dad took us one time, Daddy got stuck inside the slide and they took a picture. It was very funny! Then Daddy had a fight with a little boy in the ball pit, because the little boy kept throwing balls at his head and then Daddy threw one back. So they gave Daddy and the little boy a time out. They had to sit on the time out chairs, and they kept sticking their tongues out at each other.”

Mel and Lindsay laughed so much they rolled over onto the ground. “That must have been very funny, Gus.”

Still giggling, Gus nodded. “It was very funny! Dad took pictures, and Daddy had a cat painted on his face. He sulked all day until Dad promised to make him his favourite chicken dinner to cheer him up. But it wasn’t all Daddy’s fault! The little boy was a bully.”

Playing for a little while longer, they gathered what they needed and headed out for a day of fun.

 

Justin rested his head on Brian’s naked shoulder, sweating from their wild bout of sex on the chair. Moving so he was straddling Brian’s lap, he asked, “So, what do you want to do with our free long weekend?”

Running his hands up and down Justin’s thighs, Brian responded slyly, “Well, I think more of this is in order, but maybe we should try it out in Vegas, instead.”

Quirking an eyebrow Justin asked, “Vegas? Really?”

Nodding, Brian continued to caress any part of Justin’s body that he could touch as he replied, “Yes, Vegas, but don’t go getting any ideas. We get married there, and our balls will be cut off my your mother and Debbie. So it will be just clubs and fun, and maybe a show, because I know you love those. Just don’t tell anyone that I went to one, okay?” 

Grinning widely, Justin bounced up and down excitedly as he exclaimed, “I would love that! And I promise your secret is safe with me, so you go book our flights and hotel, and I’ll pack us a bag.” With one, last, deep, kiss, Justin danced off to do just that.

Laughing, Brian went and booked two first-class plane tickets, and the penthouse suite in the Paris Hotel. He couldn’t wait to show Justin the sights and sounds of Vegas.

 

The girls, Gus, and JR arrived at the Playdome, the sounds of kids having fun filling the air. Thankfully, though, it wasn’t so busy that it was uncomfortable.

While waiting to pay, Gus tugged on his mom’s hand and pointed. “Look, Mommy! There’s Daddy’s picture on the wall!”

When it was their turn at the counter, they were still laughing at the picture. The girl behind the counter recognized Gus and JR right away. “Gus! Jenny! Welcome back! Your Daddy’s not here today to get himself into more trouble?” she teased them with a laugh.

Gus giggled as he shook his head. “We’re staying with our mommies this weekend.”

Lindsay asked, “How did Brian manage to get stuck?”

Laughing, she replied, “He was playing along with some kids and he wasn’t looking where he was going, and he chose the baby slide instead of the other slide, and, well, he got really stuck. We thought that we were going to have to call the fire department to get him out. Thankfully, our engineer was here and managed to free him, but not before everyone took photos, of course.”

Mel had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into further laughter. “Oh, this is too good to pass up. Is there anyway that we could have a copy of that photo, please?”

Taking the picture down, she nodded with a smile. “Sure thing. I tell you what. I’ll let you in for free today, so go on in and have fun. I’ll have this waiting for you when you leave.”

Thanking her, they made their way in, promising not to get stuck.

 

Lindsay and Mel had never been to this particular Playdome before, so when they looked at all it held they were amazed to see that it had everything. It had something for everyone, from babies up to teenagers and all kinds of disabilities. They were truly blown away by the place.

Gus asked, “Where do you want to start”? 

Lindsay looked down at him, smiling, as she admitted, “I have no idea. There is so much to do here.”

Giggling, Gus pointed out, “Look! They even have a grown up jumping castle, if you and mama want to have a go.”

Mel laughed at the thought. “We will... if we survive the rest first.”

Laughing harder, Gus then said, “Just don’t get stuck like Daddy!’

They made their way through the soft play maze, with Jenny crawling and babbling away happily.

They were having so much fun going through it all, into the ball pit from the slides, and swinging on the swing that hung over them. Jenny particularly enjoyed the sensory lights and magical fish with sounds.

She and two mothers grew tired, so they went to take a seat and have coffee, allowing Gus to go back for more fun while still keeping him within eyesight. 

 

Gus spotted a little boy with he assumed was his mother; he was holding a colorful stick, so Gus knew that he was blind. Deciding that he looked like a fun kid to play with, Gus went over to them.

The mother looked at Gus as he walked up to them. Smiling, he reached out and tapped the little boy on his shoulder, slightly startling him. “Hi! My name is Gus! what’s your name?”

The boy's mother was surprised, because normally people tended to talk over her son's head to her as if he didn’t exist or could hear them.

The little boy smiled as he turned to face Gus. “I’m Simon. It’s nice to meet you, Gus.” Gus reached out to grasp the other boy’s hand and gave it a short handshake, just like he had seen his Daddies do at times. 

Gus turned to Simon’s mother and shook her hand as well. “Nice to meet you, too, ma’am.”

Smiling down at the polite young man, the woman replied, “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, too. I’m Sally.”

Gus then asked, “Simon, would you like to come play with me so your mommy can go get some coffee or something with my mommies and baby sister?”

Simon’s face lit up as he jumped with joy! “Yes please, I’d love to! Can I, Mom? I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Kissing his head, she teared up. “Sure thing, honey. You go have fun with your new friend.”

Looking at Gus, she smiled, “Thank you, Gus. I’ll go say hi to your family.”

Gus pointed his family out to her before linking arms with Simon. “You’re welcome! We’ll have lots of fun! I love making new friends!”

Sally walked away as the tears fell. Not once had Gus mentioned that Simon was blind, or asked about why he had a stick. That had never happened before when they were around children. Just before she got out of earshot, she heard her son roar with laughter at whatever his new friend had said to him.

There were no steps in this part of the play area, so there was no fear of tripping for any of the children or adults. The two of them made their way through all the crawl places, and dodged the swinging objects, laughing and joking as they did.

They came to the cave type area with all the touch, twist and squeeze shapes inside. Gus suggested, “Simon, let me hold your cool stick so you can use your hand to touch the stuff; it's sooooo much fun!”

Simon handed Gus his stick and entered the tunnel of fun with the shapes and other items. Some were curvy, others made noise, and there were even ones that felt gooey or made farting sounds. By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, they were both falling over from laughing so hard.

Sally joined Lindsay, Mel and JR, holding a cup of coffee and small plate holding a piece of cherry pie she had purchased from the snack shop. “Hi, I’m Sally,” she told them as they peered up at her. “I believe your son is Gus? The little boy who is playing with my son, Simon?” She placed her coffee and pie down onto the table to shake their hands. 

Lindsay nodded with a smile as she spoke for the both of them. “Yeah, that’s Gus,” she verified. “Would you like to sit down with us?” she asked. 

“Thanks.” Pulling back one of the spare chairs, Sally sat down next to them as she told them, “He is a wonderful young man. He didn’t even mention the fact that my son, Simon, was blind. He treated him like any other boy. You must be very proud of him.”

Both women’s heart filled with love for their son as Mel advised her, “We are proud of him. Gus has never seen anyone as disabled. To him, everyone is the same, and should be treated the same way.”

Taking a sip of her coffee, Sally nodded, letting out a sigh. “I wish everyone was like that. Sadly, they are not.”

Simon and Gus made their way through the cave section and down the slide into the ball pit and did so over and over until Gus asked him, “Do you want to go on the swing that goes over the balls?”

Simon cheered. “Can we? I love swings!”

Gus led him over and guided him up the steps to the swing. Making sure that he sat on the swing carefully, he held the stick as Simon swung with the biggest smile on his face as Gus cheered while he went higher.

Simon then asked was it safe to jump off into the balls below him. When Gus told him he was, he swung and leapt, landing perfectly in the ball pit and giggling so much that tears fell down his cheeks with joy.

After a while, both boys grew hungry and thirsty, so they made their way to where their mothers sat; talking along the way about comics and cartoons as they went, they learned that they both loved the same ones.

The girls greeted them when they reached the table as Lindsay asked, “Did you boys have fun?” 

Gus, flushed from playing, beamed. “We had soooo much fun! I know that Simon and I will be friends forever, won’t we, Simon?”

Simon nodded, leaning into his mother for a hug. “Yes we will. Mom, please give them our number and address, so we can be best friends forever.”

They exchanged numbers and addresses before they left to return to their respective homes, the kids too worn out for any more. Once dinner was over, Gus and JR fell asleep in their beds for the night.

Lindsay and Mel lay in bed as well, talking about the time they had spent with the children and both pleased with how their day had went, determined not to give up on their family.


	15. Chapter 15

Justin sat in First Class beside Brian and let out a contented sigh. “This is the best way to travel! How am I supposed to go back to Economy after this?”

Laughing, Brian playfully swatted Justin’s leg. “You’ll never have to if I have anything to say about it. After all, I have a reputation to maintain.” 

Leaning his head back against the seat, Justin peered over at his partner to ask, “I wonder how Mel and Linds are getting along with the kids?”

Holding Justin’s hand, Brian replied confidently,“I’m sure they’ll be fine. They’ve been working really hard lately, and if anything goes wrong Mikey and Ben are close by. Besides, Debbie would tear them a new one if they screw up again.”

Brian lifted Justin’s hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of it. “Let's enjoy our break away for now, and try to leave our worries behind us. Plus, the guys still haven’t taken their London trip. Maybe if all goes okay with Mel and Linds having the kids, they can finally go.” 

Justin nodded. “Yeah, I hope that they do. They really need that break away, don't they? What do you think will happen with the girls wanting more children, and with us, too?” 

Sighing, Brian replied, “They do need that, and I think it will drive them to work harder, to look at how they behave. But honestly? I think they’ll change their minds, and realize the two they have is all they need.”

Nodding, Justin replied, “I think you’re right. I’d like for you and me to have kids someday that we can raise full-time, but I agree; I think the girls will change their minds.”

Silence took over for a short time before talk turned to their stay in Vegas.

Justin excitedly asked, “So where are we staying?”

Smirking, Brian replied, “You’ll find out when we get there. The driver already knows, and is sworn to secrecy.”

Chuckling, Justin swatted Brian’s arm playfully. “That’s mean, but I love it.”

Halfway there, their in-flight meal, which happened to be Justin’s favorite of steak and fries, was served, and after eating they chatted about things to do at their destination.

Turning slightly to face Brian, Justin inquired, “Can I ask at least what have you planned for us to do there?”

Smiling now, his partner answered, “Well, we can pick a show together; I haven’t done that yet. However, I have booked one thing for us to do, which I think will melt your artistic heart.”

Raising an eyebrow, Justin asked, “Really? I’m afraid to ask; I don’t want to ruin any surprise you have planned.”

Laughing now, Brian kissed him. “Let's just say you’ll need a camera and your art supplies.”

Justin vibrated with excitement. “Okay, don’t tell me any more! I want it to stay a surprise.”

For the rest of the flight, they lay in each other's arms until they landed in Vegas.

 

Since they had no check-in luggage, they met their driver, who happily took their photo under the ‘Welcome to Vegas’ sign.

The dry heat slapped them in the face as soon as they stepped out of the airport, and the smell in the air welcomed them.

Their driver, whose name was Henry, was a very nice gentleman who pointed out the best things to do and how to get good deals when available. It kept Justin from guessing which hotel they were headed to.

Justin was like a kid at Disneyland for the first time, his eyes wide with wonder at the lights and different types of hotels, from Castles to Pyramids, and even one with a roller-coaster that started inside the hotel and traveled outside. It was an incredible sight to be seen.

The moment that Brian had been waiting for was worth its weight in gold, as they pulled into the Paris Hotel with the Eiffel Tower in all its glory lit up like gold. Justin’s gasp, and the look on his face touched Brian’s heart like it was he getting the surprise; the love he felt in that moment brought tears to his eyes.

Grasping Brian’s hand, Justin spoke with childlike wonder in his voice as he asked, “This is where we are staying? Oh, Brian! This is better than anything I could have dreamed of!”

Kissing Justin, Brian replied softly, “Only the best for you.”

 

Earlier in Pittsburgh...

Lindsay, Mel, and the kids went to visit Debbie, since she hadn’t seen them in a while.

Lindsay forced a smile on her face, while Mel didn’t have to; she smiled freely as they were welcomed into the house.

Debbie swooped up both children in her arms, hugging them tightly, as she asked, “How are my favorite grandkids?”

Gus giggled as he hugged her back, as did Jenny.

Smiling, Gus told her, “We had fun at the Playdome today.”

Standing now, Debbie replied, “You did? That’s great! Granddad Carl is out in the back yard. Why don’t you two go out back and join him to play some soccer? I’d like to talk to your mommies and catch up before we have milk and cookies.”

Gus cheered as he pushed Jenny in her stroller out to the garden to play with their granddad.

The girls looked at each other, knowing they were in for a talking to from the mother of them all.

 

Sitting around the table, coffee in their hands, Debbie started by stating, “Normally I would have shouted and screamed at you for all you have done. However, you are getting help, and I commend you for that. I do have something to say, though. What in the fuck were you thinking? At the first sign of your problems, you should have gotten help, not when your kid runs away twice! You are very lucky Protective Services didn’t get involved. Plus, I heard a rumor that you want more children. Are you stupid or just insane? You can’t handle the two that you have! How is bringing more into the equation going to help?”

Mel sighed as she replied, “We know, Deb, and we realize how stupid we have been. Lindz and I did talk, and we decided not to have any more children.”

Blowing out a breath of relief, Debbie silently thanked the heavens. “That’s the most sensible decision you both have made in a long time. So what is your plan now?”

Lindsay answered this time. “We are going to move closer to Brian and Justin. The schools are better there, and with them being out in the country, we think it will benefit them because of lesser traffic and smog.”

Raising an eyebrow, Debbie asked, “How do Michael and Ben feel about this? You’re taking Jenny pretty far away from town. And how do Brian and Justin feel about it?”

Mel answered for them as she explained, “They all agreed that it was the best choice for the kids; It’s not that far from them, and they’re willing to compromise if it means the kids will have a better quality of life.”

Laughter from the back yard broke the tension as Debbie smiled in agreement, satisfied that things were finally looking up.

 

Back in Vegas....

Walking into the Paris Hotel, Justin held Brian’s hand as he looked around their surroundings in awe. To his left was the casino, in front of him was a very stylish bar, and to his right was a reception desk, with the walkway lit by huge, crystal chandeliers. They were so beautiful, and Justin’s hands twitched with the need to capture them on canvas to remember forever what he felt at that moment in time.

Brian smiled and his heart soared at his lover’s reaction. Leaning over, he whispered in his ear, “So I gather you approve of my choice of hotel?”

Smiling an even more sunshiny smile, Justin leaned into Brian, kissing his cheek as he nodded. “It’s breathtaking; thank you.”

Capturing Justin’s lips in a sweet kiss, his partner replied, “You are most welcome, Sunshine; now let's get checked in, so I can fuck you senseless before you explore the wonder that is known as the Disney World for adults.”

Laughing, they walked to the desk, with Justin trying not to trip from looking up at the beautiful lights and architecture of the place.

Reaching the desk, they were greeted politely by a young, uniformed woman as she smiled at them. “Hi, I’m Amanda. How may I help you this evening?” 

Brian smiled back at her as he informed her, “I have a reservation under Brian Kinney, with some added instructions.” 

Giving him a knowing smile that she wasn’t to give away his surprise, she typed in his information as he handed her his credit card. “No problem, Mr. Kinney. Your room is ready, and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask,” she told him as she handed his card back to him. “You have a free trip up the Eiffel Tower, and a complimentary ride on the Big Wheel. I highly recommend doing it at night time, because the view is spectacular.”

Taking the key cards from her, he nodded. “Thank you, Amanda.” He eyed his partner in amusement as he added wryly, “And you can probably guess that the jumping bean next to me is experiencing his first time in Vegas.”

Laughing lightly, she spoke to Justin. “Welcome to Vegas. I really hope that you have a great time here.”

Justin shook her hand, smiling widely. “Thank you, Amanda. I’m Justin, by the way.”

Smiling back, she responded cordially, “Nice to meet you, Justin, and remember, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

As they made their way to the elevators, they walked down a cobblestone street inside the hotel. It was like strolling down a street in Paris. On the right were some shops situated just before the elevators, but further down music drew their attention as Brian explained that they were dueling pianos. They walked down to the bar to watch for a few moments before turning around to head up to their room.

Stepping out onto the top floor, Justin remarked, “Brian, top floor? Isn’t that where the penthouse suites are located? Did we get off on the wrong floor?”

Kissing Justin deeply, Brian gazed at him affectionately as he told him, “Did you think that I would have you staying in anything less than the best?” 

Hugging Brian tightly and kissing him back, Justin’s heart swelled. “I love you so much. I can’t wait to see our suite.”

Opening the double doors that led into their suite, they were greeted by the most spectacular space. It was all clean lines and trimmed in creams and golds. There were two bedrooms, a huge bathroom with a hot tub, and windows from floor to ceiling, showing the Strip in all its glory.

Rushing to the window, Justin gasped at the view, then felt Brian’s arms embrace him from behind, holding him close to his body.

Leaning back into his embrace, Justin sighed in contentment. “This is really beautiful, Brian. Thank you.”

Just then the Bellagio Fountains came to life and put on a show as if to welcome them and add to the romantic moment.

Turning in Brian’s arms, Justin kissed him, which turned even more heated as they continued. Sinking to the ground and mindful of the air cast still on Justin's leg, they made love with the lights of Vegas reflected behind them.

Lying in each other's arms afterward, sweaty from their love making, they began to laugh as Justin pointed out, “Two bedrooms, a sitting room, and a hot tub, and we have sex on the floor in front of the window.”

Pulling his lover to his feet, Brian chuckled at the irony as they headed into the huge shower before heading out to do some exploring.

 

Justin’s eyes darted everywhere, since there was so much to take in.

They walked down one side of the walkway, and then the other, with Brian pointing out certain things to Justin, including the designer shops that they would visit before they left. Finally they reached the New York, New York Hotel, and headed toward the Nine Fine Irishman bar located inside to sing and dance the night away.

On the way back to their suite, they walked through a part of the New York, New York Hotel to get to a crosswalk where they could travel to the other side of the road. Just before the doors to their hotel there was a candy shop, causing Justin to stop and rub his eyes in disbelief. 

Brian asked him, concerned, “You okay?” 

Nodding, Justin gestured with his free hand, “Okay, I know that I had a few Guinnesses and I’m a bit buzzed. But am I really seeing a replica of The Statue Of Liberty made out of melted candy?”

Laughing, Brian kissed Justin's temple. “You're not seeing things. That is the Statue Of Liberty made out of melted candy. Here. Let's get our picture taken with it.” Thankfully a passerby agreed to take their photo for them.

 

Once back in their hotel suite, they showered together, making love before falling into bed, where they slept soundly until breakfast arrived the next morning.

Sitting at the dining room table in their suite, dressed in their bathrobes and eating breakfast, they discussed their plans for the day.

Sipping his orange juice, Brian advised Justin, “There are lots of attractions to see that I think you will love. There’s a free Habitat Garden with flamingos in it. Then there’s the Secret Garden, and the Dolphin Habitat; it's Siegfried and Roy’s place.”

Looking at Brian, Justin asked, “Isn't that cruel to have them in hotels?”

Leaning forward, he replied, “I'm sure PETA has looked into it, and it’s saltwater. And they don't put on shows for the cats. They’re only there three hours a day before going back to their open fields.”

Smiling and feeling reassured, Justin said that he'd love to see it all, and whatever they didn’t do. perhaps they could maybe come back with the kids and do it then.

The weather outside was dry but very hot, and they were extremely grateful for the air conditioning inside the hotels and shops.

Justin was loving every second of it, from the Thunder and Lighting show in the Miracle Mile shopping mall inside The Planet Hollywood Hotel, to the moving statue show in the Caesars Forum shops, and even winning at the Roulette wheel. To top it off, they took a gondola ride inside The Venetian Hotel shops. 

 

Laughing as he ate some ice cream later, Justin exclaimed, “I can't believe we took a gondola ride inside a hotel! That was the best part of the trip so far! And all those shops were amazing. How are we going to carry all these bags back to the hotel?”

Taking a bite of his own ice cream, Brian shrugged. “We’ll manage, Sunshine. And see? I can be romantic when I want to be. On our way back, we should pick a show for tonight. Is there one you really want to see?”

Leaning over, Justin kissed Brian. “You are romantic, aren't you?” He sighed. “It's hard to pick, there are so many shows. But maybe one of the Cirque Soliel shows, or David Copperfield?”

Tapping his spoon on the side of his cup of ice cream, Brian replied, “Why not do both ones tonight, and one on Monday before we go home?”

Justin's face lit up. “That's perfect! Let's do that.” 

The shows that night were incredible. They were lucky enough to get fantastic seats, and even ended up being a part of the show. The rest of the night was spent making love in the hot tub before moving to nearly every available surface in the room, eventually falling asleep, wrapped in each other's arms in their luxurious, king-sized bed.

 

Justin was awakened bright and early with a kiss on the lips by a dressed Brian. “Come on, Sunshine, time to get up. We have places to be very soon. So hurry, get showered, dressed, and eat something. I already have your camera and art supplies packed and plenty of sunscreen.”

Laughing and excited to find out what the surprise trip was that Brian had planned, Justin did just that, and faster than he ever had done before. 

They were soon in a limo and heading towards an air strip. Justin asked, puzzled, ”We’re flying somewhere?”

Kissing Justin, Brian replied with a wink, “You'll see soon enough.”

Chuckling, Justin settled against him as he vibrated with excitement. He found himself standing in front of a helicopter after getting out of the limo, and it had the words Private Tours printed on the side of it, with a pilot standing by, ready and waiting. 

Squeezing his hand gently, Brian smiled. “So, Sunshine. Are you ready for your adventure? We’re going to the Grand Canyon for the day. We’ll fly right into it, have dinner maybe, and take a brief walk before flying back up to explore the top of it. You'll have time to sketch, of course, and take photos before we go on an evening river cruise down Lake Mead.”

Flinging his arms around Brian's neck, Justin cried happy tears over his partner’s thoughtfulness. “That's a dream trip of mine! Thank you! I love you so much.”

Kissing Justin deeply, Brian touched his forehead to his as he murmured, “Love you, too, Sunshine.”

 

The day was as magical as Brian hoped it would be for Justin. The weather was perfect, as was the food provided for them to enjoy. The best part for Brian was the look on Justin's face as he sketched, took photos, and they explored hand-in-hand from the bottom, and then right up to the rim of the canyon. And to make it even better, they saw eagles flying around, and managed to capture that breathtaking moment on camera. 

As the trip was coming to an end and they were standing on the boat cruising down Lake Mead, looking at the spectacular night sky, Brian embraced Justin from behind, holding him close and molding their bodies together. Whispering in his ear, Brian spoke, “Sunshine, I love you so much. Will you marry me?” 

Spinning around in Brian's arms to look into his eyes, his heart beating a million miles an hour at the words he had just heard, Justin asked, “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

Biting his lip, Brian nodded with a soft smile. “Yes, yes I did. Will you marry me and have more children with me that we can raise together?”

Flashing a brilliant smile that lit up his entire face - more than the moon that was lighting up the night sky - Justin replied, his voice thick with emotion, “Yes, yes I'll marry you and have kids with you! I love you more than words can say.”

Kissing deeply, they sealed the deal before Brian placed a white gold band on Justin's finger with an inscription on the inside that read, Love you body and soul. 

Looking into each other's eyes the next evening as they flew home, they knew that life was getting better and their love was even stronger, even after everything they had been through. They hoped and prayed it would be the same for the rest of the family; only time and healing would tell.


	16. Special Project

A year later.....

Brian sat back on one of the lounge chairs by the pool in their home at Britin. Sunglasses on his face and sun cream on his body, he felt truly relaxed. He smiled at the sounds of laughter that came from the pool.

Debbie approached to lie on the lounge chair beside him, handing him a tall glass of cool, pink lemonade, “Here you go, kiddo.”

Taking the glass from her, he smiled. “Thanks.”

Nodding, she sat down, relaxing back into the comfort of it. “It’s great to see and hear everyone so happy. Around this time last year, we were all so frantic with worry.”

Sighing, Brian replied as he continued to watch everyone having fun, “I know. The not knowing where my Sonnyboy was, and the girls fighting...it was almost too much to take. If everyone hadn’t pulled together to help, I don’t know where we would be now.”

Reaching over with her free hand, she held one of his in hers, making him look at her as she told him, “If it wasn’t for you and Justin standing up like you did and taking charge, who knows what would have happened? I am so proud of you, that words alone are not enough to express what I want to say.”

Pride filled his chest whenever he got praise from Debbie as he mumbled, “It was all of us, maw, not just us.”

Louder laughter broke their attention, bringing it back to the pool. Shaking her head and smiling, she pointed to the scene in front of them. “Who would have thought that not only would the girls move out here near the school, but Michael, Ben and Hunter would buy the house next door to them?”

Shaking his head, Brian laughed. “I know! When Lindz and Mel told me about it, I nearly pissed on myself from laughing, and thought I might burst a rib! West Virginia is turning into a mini Liberty Ave.” Raising an eyebrow in a teasing manner, he asked, joking, “So when are you and Carl moving out here? Before or after Ted and Blake, and Emmett and Drew?”

Playfully slapping his hand, Debbie continued laughing as she assured him, “Forget about it; I’m staying where I am. I don’t think this place is ready for all of us.”

Brian’s attention was brought back to the pool by the sound of his son’s voice calling out to him. “Daddy, come play with us! It’s really fun!”

Smiling at his son, he stood up, handing his sunglasses to Deb to hold for him as he said, “Sure thing, Sonnyboy,” as he dove into the pool. Rising from the water near his son, he lifted Gus high up out of the water, making him squeal in delight. “Daddddyyyy!” 

Justin swam over to them, placing a kiss on both their cheeks. “What’s Daddy doing to you, Gus?”

Sitting on his dad's shoulders and laughing, he told Justin, “Being silly, Dad.”

Putting his arm around them both, Justin spoke again as he replied, “We like Daddy being silly, don’t we, Gus?”

Nodding, Gus replied, kissing the top of his Daddy’s head, “It’s the best.”

Just then they heard splashing and baby babble of “Pop, Pop, Pop” coming from behind them as Jenny paddled over to them, wearing her water wings with her dads on either side of her while she made a beeline for Brian.

Michael and Ben thought it was hilarious and cute that she had begun to call Brian that; even Mel didn’t mind, because it showed how close a bond she had with him.

Lowering Gus back into the water with a splash and making him laugh even more, Brian just had enough time to open his arms to catch Jenny in a hug. “How is my little swimmer? Are you copying your big brother?”

Sometime later, out came the beach balls and pool floats for them to enjoy as the fun and laughter continued before it was time to stop for dinner.

 

Later that night with the kids tucked in bed with smiles on their face from their exciting day, the adults sat around the fire pit, making sure the video monitor for the kids’ rooms was in view. Everyone was going to be spending the night at Britin. 

Lindsay held her cup of hot cocoa in her hands as they sat around the fire pit. “Can you believe that it's Gus’s birthday soon?” she asked, looking over at Brian. “Were you able to book the Playdome for his party?”

Nodding, he replied, “I did. In fact, I got the whole place just for us to use. I heard back from everyone invited, and they’re all coming - his entire class, plus his favorite teachers, Lorien and her boyfriend, Matt. Alesky and his boyfriend, Steve. And Bernardyn and his family, too.” He shook his head as he stated, “I still can't believe that he turned out to be Simon’s dad, so they’re also coming. It’ll be a house full for our special little man, but we have to remember that he wants no presents. He wants the money that would be spent, instead, to go to the homeless shelter for food and clothing...but we’ll still buy him some things.” 

Melanie smiled. “He will be thrilled. He loves that place.” She snickered as she advised, “Just stay away from the baby slide, Brian, and everything should be fine.” 

Sticking out his tongue at her, he retorted, “Very funny; maybe I’ll just stuff you down there, instead.”

Rolling his eyes, Justin bumped his shoulder with his partner’s. “Behave, you two.” 

Smirking, Brian replied, “Where is the fun in that, Sunshine?”

Shaking his head and laughing, Justin glanced at Lindsay, Michael, Ben and Mel. “I swear, he is worse than any child,” he announced, grabbing Brian's hand and pulling him to his feet. “Come on, Mister. Time for naughty boys to go to bed.”

Pulling Justin close so their bodies were fully touching, Brian wiggled his eyebrows at the man he loved. “Does that mean that you are going to punish me?”

Rolling his eyes, his lover brushed his lips against Brian’s. “Not with the kids across that hall from us; now get your ass to bed and behave.”

Pouting now, Brian whined, “No fair, Sunshine. That's just mean.”

Laughing, Justin kissed Brian deeply before whispering in his ear, “If you are very good and be very quiet, I might just give you a full body massage with a happy ending.” Before Justin knew it, he was slung over Brian's shoulder, saying good night upside down as Brian carried him off toward their bedroom with lightning speed. 

 

The next morning, Brian, Justin, and Gus sat around the breakfast table, enjoying eggs, bacon, and sausage that would start their day off right, and leave them full for several hours.

Putting down his coffee cup next to the sports page, Brian asked his child, “Sonnyboy, would you like to go horseback riding this morning?”

Nodding with a bright smile that showed off his milk mustache, Gus chirped, “Yes! Please, Daddy!” Looking over at Justin, he asked, “ You coming as well, Dad?”

Playfully tapping his fork against Gus’s cup, he responded with a smile of his own, “You bet I am.”

Once the breakfast dishes were put in the dishwasher with no sign of the rest of the gang, they made their way out to the stables to saddle up for their ride around the grounds.

 

When they reached the lake that flowed through the property, the trio sat down on one of the benches that Brian had installed for them to enjoy, making sure the horses were in view of them, of course. 

Getting a nod from Justin to begin, Brian asked, “Gus, do you remember the secret that we have just between the three of us?”

Nodding with a smile, and speaking in a whisper for fear of anyone overhearing them, Gus replied, “I do, Daddy. First it was ‘Project Easy Bake Oven,’ and then it was ‘Project Bun in the Oven.” Frowning, he asked,“ Is something wrong with the bun? Is the oven not working?” 

Brian and Justin couldn't help but chuckle as Brian explained gently, ”No, Gus. Nothing is wrong with the oven or the bun. We just heard it's time for us to go to the special doctor’s, so we can see the bun, and we want you to come with us, because you are a part of this very magical project.”

Gus's face lit up brighter than the lights of Vegas. “Really? When are we going? I promise to still keep it a secret. I didn't even tell my teddy bears, and I tell them everything.”

Hugging his son, Brian closed his eyes as pride overwhelmed him. “I know you won't tell anyone. You have been so good through all this, you know that? You’ve really helped me and your dad.”

Gus looked at his dad speaking to him as if he were the grown up, and it made him feel very important. “I think it's brilliant. I can't wait to have a new bun, and I will help.” He giggled over the sound of the word ‘bun,’ knowing it wasn’t exactly the kind that you could eat. His fathers had explained to him what was really going on. But he loved talking like some spy anyway. 

Justin asked, biting his lip, “Gus, are you jealous that the new, uh, ‘bun’ will be living with us all the time?” 

Rolling his eyes in a perfect imitation of his dad, Gus said, “No, silly Dad. I get to live with you, too, remember? Just not everyday.” 

Justin and Brian sat on either side of him, hugging him and kissing the top of his head. After a few moments, Brian told him softly, “You are the best son in the whole, wide, world, Sonnyboy. We both love you so much, and you are going to be a wonderful big brother to the newest addition to the family.” 

Gus hugged his dads back as he replied, “Love you, Daddies. When are we going to the special doctor’s place?” 

Brian replied, “We are going Friday after we pick you up from school.” He smiled at Justin as he told his son, “We are both very excited.”

 

The big day arrived, and Gus was bouncing with excitement as he waited with the teacher and the other students for the end of school when his parents would be picking him up.

A smiling rocket of joy ran into his parents’ arms as soon as the doors opened and he saw Justin and Brian. “Daddies!”

Picking him up and twirling him around, Brian placed a kiss on his cheek. “Did you have a good day at school?” 

Gus nodded with a massive smile on his face. “It was so much fun! We had a test, and I got them all right! The teacher gave me a big, gold star!” 

Justin joined in their conversation. “Wow, Gus, that's wonderful! Well done!” he praised the little boy, kissing his cheek as Brian added, “Yes, that’s excellent, Sonnyboy! I'm so proud of you!”

Gus kissed his dad's cheek as he murmured, “I love you, Daddy.” Then he kissed Justin's cheek before telling him, “I love you, too, Dad.”

The three of them shared a hug before they walked out and got into the car, making their way to the doctor’s office, where they would be able to see the results of their special project.

 

Entering the waiting room, Gus ran up to a lady with long brown hair and a glowing smile. “Marcy, Marcy, how are you?”

Hugging the little boy, she smiled at him warmly; Gus had stolen her heart long ago. “I'm really well, Gus! I’m very excited to see how well the dough is cooking,” she told him with a wink. She had to keep from laughing out loud as she remembered the day the guys told her how they had explained the project to Gus. It had been the funniest surrogacy story she had ever heard, and she had been the carrier for three others before. 

Giggling, Gus nodded. “Me, too! Aunt Daphne was very kind to give some of her dough to my dads to help make them.”

Marcy agreed, finding it hard to keep from laughing over the terminology the two dads had used. Visions of being the wife of the Pillsbury Doughboy came to mind as she told him, “Yes, I think it was the most wonderful present she ever could have given them.”

Gus leaned over to whisper in his father’s ear, loud enough for Justin to hear as well, “I know they’re really eggs, Daddy.” 

Brian’s eyes grew wide. “You do?” 

Gus nodded. 

“How did you know that?” He peered over at Justin, who shrugged. He was just as surprised as Brian was. They had decided that some of the procedure would just be too complicated for a young child to understand, so they had explained it in simple terms. But they had obviously forgotten just how smart Gus was. 

“In school,” Gus told them matter-of-factly. “They told us about chickens, and how their babies come from eggs. And how all animals’ babies come from eggs. So all babies must come from eggs, even people...right? How could you make babies out of dough? That’s for cookies.” 

Justin chuckled. “And buns. Very logical, Gus.” He looked at Brian, who nodded briefly, before Justin confirmed, “Yes, Gus. Human babies come from eggs, too. It was just part of our secret code. You’re very smart.” 

“Yes, I am,” Gus replied solemnly with no hint of smugness, making all of the adults laugh. 

Marcy then turned to greet Brian and Justin with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before the doctor called them into the examination room.

 

Dr. Michelle loved the unorthodox family in front of her, and how much they were involving their young son in every step of the process. Even on the day of the implantation, she remembered the young boy holding Marcy’s hand and telling her how brave she was, and not once had he touched her or her stomach without permission.

Everyone was in position around Marcy on the bed as Dr. Michelle asked, “Is everyone ready now?” At the nods from all, she advised them, “Okay. So at six weeks, we are able to hear the heartbeat; it's not until eight weeks’ gestation before we can see the embryo. So now let's see how many of the three eggs you implanted took. Gus, you hold Marcy’s hand if you wish to, okay?” 

Gus looked from the doctor to Marcy, asking, “Is it okay if I hold your hand?” 

Speaking softly with a smile Marcy replied, ”Of course, Gus. That will really help me; thank you.”

Brian and Justin held hands with their free hand on their son’s shoulder. Their hearts were pounding with nervous excitement as they waited to see what might appear on the screen, and whose sperm had worked. Justin had fertilized two eggs, and Brian had fertilized one. They feared one of them would be left unviable. 

Dr Michelle explained each step as she went along. “First, I will put this gel on Marcy’s tummy, so it will feel a bit cold.”

Gus asked, concerned, “Why can't you make it warm so Marcy won't be cold?” 

The doctor replied,”That's a very good question, Gus. I might see if we can make it warmer next time.” 

Noticing the anxiety on the faces of the two men, the doctor reassured them, “Relax. I’m sure everything is okay. The pregnancy test that Marcy took this morning showed she was still pregnant, so there's at least one baby in there. Now...let's see what we have, shall we?” 

Rubbing the wand over Marcy’s tummy, all eyes were on the screen as they waited to see what came up. A few seconds passed before the sound of a rapidly beating heartbeat could be heard.

Justin swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. “Doc, is that our baby's heartbeat?”

Nodding, she looked at them with a huge smile on her face, pointing to the screen with her pen. “It sure is. And it's not just one. That's why it sounds unusual, because all three eggs have been successfully inseminated! Congratulations, Justin, Brian, and Gus...your family has just been blessed with triplets! I'm so happy for you!”

Gus spoke up just then as he pointed out, “Don't forget Marcy.”

Smiling, the doctor added, “And Marcy, of course! I'm sorry I overlooked her, Gus. You are going to make a fine big brother to these three babies. And I’m sure your dads will be wonderful fathers to them, too.”

Brian's voice shook with wonder as he spoke, “Are you sure, doc? Really? All three?”

Nodding, she smiled. “Yes, I'm very sure. All three were successful.” 

Turning to Justin, his eyes glistened with happy tears. “You are going to be a dad again, Sunshine! We are going to be dads again.” Kissing Justin tenderly, he touched their foreheads together as they breathed in their happiness. 

Turning to Marcy, they all kissed her cheek, asking if she would she be okay with carrying three babies. She quickly reassured them that she would have the best care possible. 

Gus still held her hand, his eyes locked on the screen where the babies were. “Marcy, would it be okay to give the babies a kiss on your tummy?” 

Squeezing his hand, her own voice shook with emotion as she told him, “Of course you can, Gus, anytime that you want. You are their big brother.” She was still amazed how this young child had the presence of mind to ask before he touched her, and how considerate he was. Gus whispered to her tummy, “I'm gonna be your big brother, and I promise to be the best one I can be. And Jenny will be the best big sister. We love you already. I can't wait for Jenny to find out.”

They all misted up at his words. Out of the mouths of babes, they all couldn’t help thinking simultaneously. 

Just before they left the doctor’s office, they obtained a few dozen printouts of the sonogram pictures and the same amount of DVDs showing the live scan. 

The plan was that Gus would be the one to tell everyone on his birthday, and to hand out the pictures and DVDs. Clutching his one over his heart, he couldn't think of a better birthday present then this. He was going to be a big brother again, and his daddies would be daddies again.


	17. Preparations For Celebrations

Brian drove towards their home in West Virginia, taking his time in the heavy falling snow. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe that just a few days they were all sitting around the pool, basking in the heat of beautiful sunshine. 

Reaching their mailbox, he collected their mail, then pressed the code to open the gate to enter the grounds of their property. Once through the gate, he pressed the button to open the garage, so once he reached it he could just drive straight in.

Once inside and the door shut behind him, he was glad the garage was heated. Grabbing the mail and his laptop bag, he made his way into the main house through the door from the garage.

Delicious smells of cooking, and the sounds of Justin singing from the kitchen, greeted him. Smiling and shaking his head, he paused in the doorway, watching for a few moments.

Justin was checking the oven and swinging his hips as he danced to the music playing, not mindful that Brian had come in and was standing nearby, watching him.

Turning from the oven, some movement caught his eye, making him jump sky high. “Jesus, Brian, you scared the crap out of me! When did you get home?”

Pushing himself from the doorframe, Brian gave his partner a lopsided smile. “Long enough to enjoy the private show,” he told him appreciatively. 

Smiling, Justin wrapped his arms around him, capturing his lips in a deep kiss. “Well, then, it was a pleasure to provide you with some entertainment. Welcome home.”

Placing another kiss on the blond's lips, Brian playfully smacked Justin on the ass as he assured him, “The pleasure was all mine.”

Laughing, Justin went back to check on the vegetables as he told him, “I heard from Daphne today. She’s flying in to be here for Gus’s birthday party.”

Leaning against the counter, watching Justin move about, he smiled. “That's great. I always love when the little minx visits.”

Laughing so hard at that nickname, Justin had to wipe a tear from his eye. “I have to tell her you called her that; she'll love it.”

Chuckling, Brian added, “I heard from Kevin today. He’s coming with his family, and so is Dave and his family. So that should be everyone now.”

Setting the table, Justin replied with a huge smile, “That's wonderful! Gus is going to have the best birthday ever, and he’ll be so excited about the big reveal you have planned.”

Letting out a contented breath, Brian replied, “He will be, won’t he? And it's only right he be the one to do it. If Gus wasn’t in agreement, or wouldn’t be happy with it, we wouldn't be going through with it.”

While gathering up their dinner, Justin replied, “Yeah. Then for him to call us silly daddies, because we thought that he would feel pushed aside or upset was funny. As they say, out of the mouths of babes.”

Once dinner was served, they sat in comfortable silence, eating the wonderful roast stuffed chicken and vegetables Justin had prepared for them.

 

Michael and Ben’s house….

Michael stood at the back door to their new home, watching the snow fall as Ben worked on his laptop. Looking over at his husband, Ben asked, “You okay?”

Turning, Michael nodded. “I'm fine, but can you believe this snow? I hope it clears up soon, Otherwise, it's going to be hard getting to the party in a few days.”

Standing up to move to stand beside Michael and looking out at the falling snow, Ben replied, “I hope so as well. The family could really use this party, as well as Gus having a really great birthday.”

Taking a sip from his coffee cup, Michael nodded. “Yeah.” Looking towards the house next door, he asked, “I wonder if will they agree to putting in that door between the houses?”

Placing his arm around his husband’s shoulder, Ben held him close. “Don't get your hopes up, and please don't push them too far. Try and keep your head.”

Leaning his head on Ben’s shoulder, Michael vowed, “I won't. I promise...or at least I'll try not to.”

 

Lindsay and Mel’s House….

Mel watched as Gus finished making a small snowman out in their garden, glad of the winter clothing that Brian had bought for him to keep him warm in the cold. She loved his rosy red cheeks as he happily placed the hat and carrot for a nose on the snowman. 

Turning to his mama, he said, “Look, mama! A snowman! Should I make a snow woman and a dog, too, so he won't be lonely?”

Smiling at his suggestion, she nodded. “I think that's a great idea! But first why don't you come in for some cocoa and food? Then maybe we can get mommy to help us make them, and we can make some snow children, too?” 

Jumping up and down, Gus clapped his hands with excitement. ”Yeah, let's do that! Then we can make snow angels with Jenny; it would be fun for her to do.”

Once they finished their cocoa and food, they did just that and had lots of fun creating a snow family in the garden, capturing pictures that they would treasure forever along the way.

 

Soon it was Friday, the day before the birthday party, and because of the snow that had fallen, a pipe had burst in Gus's school. So he was getting dropped off at his dad's house that morning, instead of his father picking him up after school. 

Thankfully, both Brian and Justin were working from home, so it was no trouble to have him arrive earlier.

Lindsay and Melanie handed over Gus's bag; while Mel hung up his coat, Lindz stated, “Thanks for taking Gus so early. The school said that the water damage repairs should be done by Monday.”

Gathering Gus up into his arms, Brian replied while hugging his son, “It's not a problem. We’ll have fun, won't we, Sonny Boy?”

Grinning widely, Gus exclaimed, “We will, Daddy! We always have lots of fun.”

Justin asked, “Is Michael looking after Jenny today?”

Mel nodded with a sigh. “Yes, and he is still talking about that damn door. I don't think he realizes we might need a zoning permit for that kind of change.”

Smirking, Brian added, “And if it goes ahead, Mikey will have access 24/7; now won't that be fun?”

Running her hands through her hair, Mel replied, “Good God, no! If we do it - and that’s a big IF - then we need some rules established; lots and lots of rules.”

Lindsay nodded in agreement before replying, “I'm sure we can work something out. Now, we’d better going, or we’ll be late for work.”

Giving Gus a hug and kiss goodbye, they made their way to work.

 

Looking at his son, Brian asked, “So, Gus, what do you think about the door that Uncle Mikey wants to put in?”

Shrugging his shoulders, the little boy replied, “I think they’ll wind up doing it. They like making Uncle Mikey wait. Sometimes my moms are so silly, just like you and Dad are silly. I think it's a good idea. It would be nice to see him, Uncle Ben, and cousin Hunter more.”

Brian and Justin laughed as they both tickled Gus, making him giggle. “We’ll show you how silly we can be!”

 

Gus spent time with both his dads throughout the day. He loved watching them work, and he was thrilled every time he was asked his opinion on an idea for an ad his daddy was working on, or a painting that his dad was doing; it felt great to be included.

Now he stood side by side with Justin, preparing the dinner as they discussed how to proceed with the reveal. Brian stood opposite from Justin, after getting banned from helping when he began to munch on the chopped vegetables.

Stir frying the chicken soaked in soy sauce with chopped garlic and vegetables, Justin asked, “Do you have any suggestions as to how we should tell them?”

Sipping his ice water, Brian replied, “Why don't we just tell them straight out, then hand out the pictures and DVDs?”

From his place nearby, Gus suggested, “How about we make tiny cupcakes and put pink and blue on them? We can put the pictures and DVDs on a tray and wrap them in something. We can tell them not to open them until we say ready, set, go!”

Brian pondered that idea before nodding with a smile. “I like that idea better! Let's go with that one. What do you think, Sunshine?”

Smiling widely as he served up the chicken on a bed of rice, Justin nodded. “Yeah, I love that idea! Let's get them ready tonight. It shouldn’t take that long if we ALL pitch in, right, Daddy?”

Staring hard at Justin to let him know that baking was not his thing, but knowing it would make his son happy, he offered a reluctant smile. “Sure, it will be fun, won't it, Sonny Boy?”

Gus cheered. “Yeah, it's going to be so much fun! I love making stuff with my Daddies.”

That made Brian smile a real smile, knowing something as simple as making cupcakes with his dads had made his son that happy; from the smile on his partner’s face, he knew it meant the world to him as well. “Well, then. As the Three Musketeers say, ‘all for one, and one for all.’ Let’s do it.” 

 

Later that evening, once they had all the pictures and DVDs in envelopes decorated with hand-drawn pictures and the name of the recipient, they began preparing the cupcakes.

Covered in flour and different-colored icing, they all enjoyed creating them. Even Brian didn't complain when his clothes were ruined. The sound of laughter and the look of joy on the faces before him were all that mattered.

Tucking Gus into bed that night, they both read him the story he loved the most.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Brian asked his son, “You excited about tomorrow?”

Nodding, Gus smiled a huge sunshine smile as he answered excitedly, “Yes, Daddy, I can't wait!”

Justin smiled and added with a wink, “We can't wait, either. But we’ll have to watch your Daddy around the slides.”

Giggling now, Gus patted his dad's hand as he told him, “Don't worry, Daddy; I'll look after you and make sure you don't get stuck again.”

Groaning as he placed his hand over his face, Brian replied, “I'm never living this down, am I?”

Laughing harder and clapping him on the shoulder, Justin told him gleefully, “Nope, afraid not.”

It didn't take long before Gus was sound asleep, and Brian took Justin’s hand in his, leading him to their bedroom, where they made love for hours before falling asleep in each other's arms with smiles on their faces, excited and nervous for the day ahead.


	18. Happy Birthday

Gus had been so excited before going to bed, thinking about his birthday party the next day, that Brian thought it would be nearly impossible for the young boy to fall asleep. Gus, however, only lasted two pages into his story before falling asleep with a smile on his face.

Placing the book back on the shelf, Brian felt Justin take his hand in his, leading him from the bedroom. Speaking softly, Justin smiled as he peered over at the angelic-looking child. “I can’t believe that he went out like a light like that. I guess the excitement of what's to come wore him out.”

Shaking his head with a smile playing on his lips, Brian looked back through the slightly open door to watch his son sleeping soundly. “Yeah, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to seeing his face when he finds out the surprise we have in store for him and him alone.”

Placing his arms around the slender blond, Brian whispered, “Why don’t we place his wake up surprises on his bed in his room before we go to bed. I have plans for you that just can’t wait any longer.”

Laughing, Justin kissed Brian lightly on the lips as he nodded in agreement. “Let’s do that, because you are soooo going to get lucky tonight,” he told him with a sly smile. With that, Brian placed what his son would wake up to in his bedroom before throwing his partner over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry to their room, dropping him onto the bed as Justin giggled. All night long, they took turns giving each other pleasure until they fell asleep with satisfied smiles on their faces.

 

Gus woke up with a smile on his face, which transformed into an even bigger one of surprise as he looked around his bedroom, presently festooned with tons of balloons floating around the room of every colour. A birthday hat on his bedside table had a note that read ‘Wear me’ attached to it. There was also a brightly colored parcel on the end of his bed with a tag that read, ‘Open me, Birthday Boy.’

Sitting up in bed to place the party hat on his head, excitement ran through his body as he reached for the parcel, opening it as fast as he could. He found a blue t-shirt with a picture of him in mid-air, jumping on a trampoline with the biggest smile on his face from a photo his daddy had taken recently. The picture had streamers and the words Birthday Boy printed on it.

Gus hugged the t-shirt to his chest as happy tears fell from his eyes. Taking off his pajamas as fast as possible, he put on the t-shirt and a pair of pants that had been laid out for him. Popping back on the party hat, he dashed from his room to find his daddies. 

As Gus entered the kitchen where he normally found his dads, he was greeted by a cheer of Happy Birthday, and the sounds of popping streamers going off all around him. 

There stood not just his dads, but Jenny was there and his moms, Nana Deb, Granddad Carl, Nana Jen and Aunt Molly, Uncle Emmett, Uncle Ted, Uncle Mikey, Uncle Ben, Cousin Hunter, Uncle Drew, Uncle Blake, and Aunt Daphne. Everyone he loved was in the room wearing party hats just for him! He couldn’t believe that his heart could be filled with any more love until that very moment.

His eyes filled with happy tears once more as as he looked at his dad and ran toward him, leaping into his arms and hugging him as tightly as his little arms would let him as he exclaimed, “Oh, Daddy! This is the bestest birthday ever!”

Looking around at everyone, Gus spoke again, wiping a tear from his eye. “I can’t believe you are all here! I’m so happy! Thank you.”

Lindsay kissed her son’s cheek, since he was still in his dad’s arms. “You are welcome, honey. We have been here all night long; your daddies wanted to surprise you this morning.”

Gus looked at his dads with his mouth open in shock. “Wow, I didn’t know! Thank you so much!” He hugged his father as he pulled Justin into the hug as well. “I love you both so much!” Brian and Justin held him tight as they told him how much they loved him as well.

 

Breakfast was lots of fun, filled with joy and lots of laughter. There was an air of excitement and anticipation about what was to occur later in the day. 

Gus sat proudly with his party hat on his head, wearing his t-shirt and the birthday badge that Jenny had given him. He felt like the luckiest boy on the planet to have a family like this. 

Gus looked over at his Daddy Justin, who was clearing the table after they had all finished eating. “Daddy, may I help you wash up, please?”

Justin placed the dishes on the draining board, ready to be washed, and turned to answer him. He smiled over how polite their son was, and over his thoughtfulness. “It’s okay, Gus. “That’s nice of you to offer to help, but it’s your birthday, so you don’t have to do any cleaning up duty today.”

Gus smiled as he pulled the step stool over next to the sink. “It’s okay, Daddy. I love doing the dishes with you. I can dry after you wash them.” 

Justin smiled with a nod. “Sounds like a good plan,” he told him as the child beamed.

Everyone joined in as well, carrying their respective dishes over to the sink for Justin and Gus to carry out their joint task. Brian paused in wiping down the table to watch his son with pride, thinking how lucky they were that everything had turned out so well.

 

Getting to the ‘Playdome’ was fun, since Brian had hired a Hummer Limousine to take all of them there in style. The look on his son’s face when he saw the huge vehicle pull up would forever be imprinted on his mind and in his heart. The sound of Gus’s delighted squeal of “Oh, Daddy!” made his heart swell with love, as he knew his son instantly was aware of who had arranged such a unique mode of transportation, just for his special day. 

Mel chuckled as she leaned in to whisper to Brian, “You really don’t do things half way, do you?” 

Giving her a sideways smile, Brian shook his head. “Nope, just wait until Jenny Rebecca’s birthday in a few months time, and you’ll see what else I can do.”

Mel’s head snapped sidewards to look at him as he asked, “What have you planned, Kinney?” 

Laughing now - knowing she only called him that when she was really shocked - he gave her a quick answer before going to join the others by the huge vehicle. “Just wait and see; she will want for nothing.” 

Mel’s mouth dropped open as she shook herself off before following him to join the others, who were standing by the Hummer to have some commemorative photos taken. She was going to put it out of her mind for now and just let herself enjoy this birthday with her son. But she couldn’t help being extremely curious. 

Once all of the photos were taken outside the Hummer, they entered the spacious interior, where more were taken before they put on their seatbelts to head toward their destination. Music played through a premium sound system, and colourful lights danced around them while they sang songs and danced; well, at least as much as one could while strapped into their seatbelts.

Justin held Brian’s hand in his. No words were needed to say how they were both feeling; it was reflected in the sheer delight shown on everyone’s faces. 

Debbie sipped her sparkling drink as she commented with a smile, “Now this is the way to travel in style! I tell you, kiddo, you sure know how to do things in the grandest way.”

Laughing, Brian replied, “Anything for my Sonny Boy.”

Gus smiled, his expression an exact replica of his dad’s smile, which made him feel proud, because he wanted to be and look just like his dad.

Aaron, the limousine driver, was so happy that he had been given this particular assignment. The sounds of laughter and singing that were coming from the back of the vehicle made his heart soar. He was even more shocked when the birthday boy had given him a party hat of his own, and had asked him to join in with them when they got to the Playdome, even telling him that he could bring his kids as well if he could call someone to get them there. 

No one had ever asked him to join in, let alone invite his kids as well. He needed clearance from his boss before he could say yes. And he was very lucky that there were places where he could park the huge vehicle with proper security in the area, so he was given the go ahead to join in. The company had grown enormously since Kinnetik had taken over the advertising, so the okay was easy to obtain. 

Since they had taken the long way to the Playdome so they could enjoy their times in the luxury of the Hummer, Aaron’s kids and wife were already there and waiting for them. 

Everyone in the back seats was buzzing to get out now and enjoy the next part of the day. Of course, the teasing about the baby slide began, making everyone laugh, and Brian buried his face in his hands, groaning. 

Aaron opened the passenger door to let everyone out, giving a helping hand when needed. Gus was the last person to exit, stopping to shake Aaron’s hand. “Thank you for driving us. You drive really good! It must be very hard with a huge car like this one.”

Smiling, Aaron shook the young man’s hand back as he replied, “You’re very welcome. It was hard at first, but I had lots of lessons on how to drive something like this, so now it is much easier.”

Nodding, Gus smiled. “That’s good. I like learning new things. Is that your family over there?” 

Looking to where Gus was pointing, he nodded. “Yes. That’s my wife, Cindy, and my little girl Angela and my little boy Mark. They’re very happy that you asked them to come to your party. That was very kind of you.”

Gus reached back into the bag inside the limo and pulled out three more party hats for the new arrivals. “I’m very happy they said yes and could come. I'm going over now to give them their party hats,” he told the man as he ran over to greet the new arrivals. 

When Gus reached them, he smiled. “Hi, I’m Gus! Thanks for coming! I’m so happy you could be here!” He held out the objects in his hand as he told them, “I brought you party hats to wear.”

Cindy, Angela, and Mark put on the hats right away, smiling as they did.

Cindy greeted the young man. “Thank you for inviting us! We love coming here; it’s so much fun.”

Gus beamed and nodded. “It IS lots of fun! I love how the grownups can play too! So let’s go in and have some fun.”

Brian and Justin held one of Gus’s hand in theirs as they led him inside the building, as yet again Gus’s mouth dropped open in shock. There stood all of his friends from school, and even some of his favourite teachers. Lorrie and her boyfriend. Alesky and his boyfriend, Bernardyn with his wife, and Simon, of course. David, Kevin and their families were there as well, so that meant everyone he loved in the world was in the same place at the same time. 

Looking up at his dad, Gus’s voice shook with emotion. “I didn’t know that everyone was coming. This is really a dream birthday, Daddy! Thank you.”

Crouching down beside his son, Brian wiped a tear away that had fallen on his child’s little face as he told him, “You deserve this, Sonny Boy, and more. We all love you and want you to have the best day ever.”

Hugging his dad, Gus let out a contented sigh. “Love you, Daddy.”

Kissing his son’s cheek, Brian murmured softly, “I love you, too. Now you go have fun, okay?”

All the adults greeted each other as the kids dashed into the ball pits, climbing frame areas, and everything else that surrounded him. Simon hugged his friend as he said, “Happy Birthday, Gus! Were you really surprised when you saw us all here?” 

Gus laughed as he led Simon to their favourite part of the Playdome. “I sure was! I thought that it was only going to be me and my daddies. I didn’t know about everyone else coming. It’s so cool!” 

Simon giggled. “I knew. Your mommies and my mommy helped. We put up all the balloons and decorations, My daddy helped make all the birthday food with Emmett. He is really cool, by the way.”

Gus gasped, “Really? You all did that? WOW, that is soooo great! And, yeah, Emmett is really cool, and he is very funny.”

Others joined in the fun with them; all their friends from school were making up games for them to play, which produced even more laughter.

The adults soon wanted in on the fun, too. Some chose the bouncing castle for grown ups, others chose the adult ball pit, while others joined in on the slides and swings and face painting. 

Brian got to the slides and found a big sign with his picture that read NOT FOR BIG KIDS that made him fall over with laughter, causing him to ride down the big slide and crash into the balls below, where Gus has been watching him and laughing at the same time. 

Jennifer took a break from jumping in the bouncing castle to take in some water as Lindsay did the same thing. “Wow, I think I need more gym time, or a gym just like this, because working out like this would be so much more fun, don’t you think?”

Lindsay laughed. “Now, that is a really good idea! Maybe we should make one and get Brian to advertise it for us.”

Emmett and the others were having a blast, too. They felt like big kids finally let out to play after getting grounded for years. They were having just as much fun as the young kids, and they were thrilled to be a part of it all.

Debbie was the next to fold and needed refreshment, “Christ, those children sure have a lot of energy, don’t they?”

Mel laughed, having just sat down moments before that. “They sure do! If you could bottle it up and sell it, we would be zillionaires by now.”

Justin took tons of photos and videos in between playing as well, and trying to avoid getting dunked by Brian down the huge slide. 

 

Two hours had passed by the time Brian needed a break, and he used that time to watch his son play: his little face was flushed from all his exercise, and he wore a smile that just got bigger and bigger. Brian was sure that it would stay on his face for a very long time, and he was so thankful that his son was having a completely different childhood than he had experienced. 

Jennifer made him jump slightly by kissing his cheek out of nowhere. “I’m very proud of you, Brian.” 

Raising an eyebrow at her, Brian asked, “Why, what did I do?”

Laughing, she waved a hand towards Gus and Justin, who were currently playing “Follow the Leader” with the others kids and adults, including Aaron and Cindy, who fell over from laughter. “That. You caused that look of happiness, and the joy in my son and your son’s hearts. I never thought that I would see that, ever. Your son is the image of you in both looks and heart, and that heart will do wonderful things in the world. He already has. What child doesn’t want birthday presents, but asks for people to help charities instead? That is because of you, and what you have instilled in him. You always help others and he’s noticed that, and he wants to be just like you. I, for one, am happy that he will be around to pass that on to others as he grows up.”

Brian blushed, which was something he never did, as he shifted on his seat. “That wasn’t me; that was the family.”

Kissing his cheek once more, Jennifer smiled. “Don’t sell yourself short, Brian. I’m very proud of you, and proud to call you part of my family.”

Brian moved to reply, but was unable to as Jennifer smiled before walking over to help gather the kids and adults so they could sit and enjoy the party food and soft drinks.

Numerous tables were overflowing with food and drink selections. From the chatter and laughter that filled the air, it was obvious how much everyone was enjoying the occasion.

When the cake came out, it was the biggest anyone had ever seen, with an authentic-looking treehouse and trampoline situated on the top. A rousing version of “Happy Birthday” rang out as more photos were taken. When it came time to blow out the candles Brian and Justin stood on one side of him, and Lindsay and Mel on the other. Brian whispered in his ear, “Don’t forget to make a wish, Sonny Boy.”

Gus closed his eyes and made his wish before blowing out all the candles in one go. 

Brian kissed his cheek after he did, whispering, “Happy Birthday, Son.”

 

All the kids and adults left with the best party bags ever, all containing an Apple product, gift cards for the best places to eat, prepaid admission to the most popular adventure parks, and lots more. 

Justin laughed, telling him the best thing he ever got in a party bag was a bottle of bubble-making fluid and a small, plastic wand. 

 

The Hummer pulled up outside Britin, and everyone emerged from the vehicle, once again assisted by Aaron for those who needed it, and just like the last time Gus was the last person to exit. 

Crouching down to be able to talk to Gus face to face, Aaron smiled at the birthday boy while shaking his hand. “Thank you again for inviting my family and me to be a part of your party,” he told him sincerely. “We really enjoyed it.” 

Gus smiled back at him. “Angela and Mark are really fun to play with! I hope that we will all have play dates again. I’ll ask my daddy to give you our number, so we can stay friends.”

Aaron had to swallow a lump in his throat before replying, “We’d like that a lot, Gus. Oh, before I go...” Aaron pulled something out of his pocket. “Cindy made this for you right after I called her this morning. She wanted to say thank you. She was amazed that instead of presents, you wanted people to help charities. That made Mark and Angela decide to go home and get their money boxes out, so they can give their money to the Pay it Forward restaurant to help buy meals for those who can’t afford to.”

Gus looked down at the beautiful, light-blue-and-white twisted rope bracelet in his hand. Looking back up into Aaron’s eyes, he leaned forward and hugged him. “Thank you so much! It’s beautiful. Please give Miss Cindy a hug for me, and thank Angela and Mark for helping people who can’t buy their own dinners.”

Nodding against the little boy’s shoulder as he hugged him back, Aaron assured him, “Of course I will. Now you go and enjoy the rest of your birthday, and we’ll set up lots more play dates, I promise.”

Brian joined Gus, watching as Aaron drove away. He had refused a huge tip; instead, he asked that it be given to a charity of Gus’s choice.

Clearing his throat, Brian spoke as he laid a hand on his son’s shoulder. “You okay, Sonny Boy? You ready for the dinner, and the big reveal?”

Looking up at his dad with that Kinney smile he had inherited, he nodded eagerly. “I am so excited, Daddy! Are you and Dad nervous?” 

Brushing his hand through his son’s hair, Brian admitted, “Yeah, we’re nervous. But we know that you will help us get through this,” he told him, gently steering his son toward the front door, where everyone was waiting for the guest of honor to enter the house first. 

 

Once inside the house, all the chatter stopped as Gus stopped dead in his tracks in the dining room. There before him set up was a MAD HATTER style table; a rack of costumes hung nearby with their names on them to wear. 

Gus jumped up and down clapping his hands with excitement as everyone dashed to see which costume their name was on. Everyone seemed satisfied with their outfit except Justin. 

Brian had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at his partner, who motioned for him to come closer. 

Justin looked at Brian aghast, holding the costume that had his name on it. “Why, Brian? Why do I have to be Alice In Wonderland? Really? Why couldn’t I be like the rabbit or something?” 

Placing his arm around the slender blond, Brian hugged him as he explained, “I don’t know. Maybe it was the perfect one for your sexy, slender body. Besides, no matter what you wear you will look sexy.” He leaned in closer so no one could hear what he said next. “Just think of our son’s face when he sees you taking part no matter what, and the look of surprise on everyone else’s face when he does the big reveal that is coming very soon.”

Sighing deeply, Justin leaned into Brian’s embrace as he commented dryly, “Well, we’re both blond. And beautiful. Sexy, huh?” 

Brian nodded with a smile. 

“Okay. You’re right; sorry for my queen-out moment.”

Kissing his temple, Brian led him out of the room so they could both get dressed.

 

Soon everyone was dressed in their costumes, Gus was a little Prince Charming, while Brian wore the grown up prince costume. Lindsay was the White Queen, while Mel was the Queen of Hearts. Ted and Blake were rabbits, while Emmett and Drew were a frog and a caterpillar. Daphne was a frog as well, but a sexy one, of course. Debbie and Carl were a Queen and King, and Jennifer and Molly were butterflies. Jenny, naturally, was a fairy princess. 

Everyone was having a great time, with lots of chatter and laughter filtering around the table; the theme of the dinner party was a huge hit, even though Justin had to sit in a dress and wear a long, blond wig. Of course, lots of photos and video clips were taken throughout the event.

 

The moment the guys and Gus was leading up to was coming, and Gus found his dads in the pantry when they quietly slipped away.

Justin was having a panic attack, blowing into a paper bag to try and get his breathing back under control.

Gus ran in and began rubbing small, slow, steady circles on his dad's back. “It’s going to be okay, Dad, I promise. Everyone will be really happy, won’t they, Daddy?” he said, looking up at his father who looked a little anxious himself. 

Tamping down his nervousness, Brian nodded as he smiled down at Gus, who was managing to help Justin get his breathing back to normal. “Of course, Sonny Boy. It’s going to be fine.” 

Finally with his breathing under control, Justin nodded gratefully at the child. “You’re right, Gus. I think it’s just starting to set in, because in the next ten minutes everyone is going to know. Are you ready for the show?” 

Gus placed the trays that held the cupcakes and envelopes onto the dessert trolley, so he could roll it into the room where everyone was waiting and hand them out. 

Brian and Justin hugged Gus tightly as Brian asked softly, “You guys ready for this?” 

Justin smiled, his eyes glistening with tears. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Are you two ready?” 

Leaning over, Brian placed a kiss on both his boys’ cheeks as he assured them, “More than anything.” Peering at his son affectionately, he told him, “Okay, Sonny Boy. This is your big moment; go for it.”

Squaring his shoulders and standing tall and proud that his dads had given him this massive job, he replied confidently, “I won’t let you down, Daddies. I promise.”

Cupping his son’s face in the palm of his hand, his heart swelled with love and pride as he told him, “You could never in a million years, or even infinity, fail to do us proud.” After one more hug, Gus began to roll the trolley into the dining room. 

 

Everyone looked over when Gus entered, causing Emmett and Daphne to cheer. “Yeah! Dessert time!”

Gus eyed everyone sternly. “Okay, everybody. Don’t lift the cover or open anything until I say ‘ready, steady, go,’ okay?”

All agreed, wondering what he was up to; they assumed it was just some party game that he had made up.

Michael joked, “Is this a race, Gus? Does the winner get a prize for being the fastest?”

Gus covered his mouth in a fit of giggles; he loved his silly uncle. “No, Uncle Mikey...but it promise it will be exciting, though.” 

Once everyone had their covered plates, Gus stood on a chair at the head of the table with his dads on either side of him, both of them placing a hand on his shoulders to let him know that it was time.

Smiling, Gus took a deep breath before speaking. He felt just as nervous as his dads as he said, “OK, ready, steady, go!”

They all laughed as they lifted the covers to find that they each had three cupcakes that were half blue and half pink; a beautifully decorated envelope with their names on them sat beside them.

Prompted once more by Gus, they opened the envelopes; within seconds, the gasps and shocked expressions spread around the table like a wildfire in dry grass.

Debbie gazed down at the picture in her hand. Her heart beating faster and faster by the second, she looked back up the boys’ nervous faces peering back at her as she asked, “Is this for real? Is this a sonogram picture of triplets? Are you having more babies?” 

All eyes were now on the boys waiting for an answer. Thankfully, Gus spoke first, because words were stuck in both of his fathers’ throats at that point. “Yes, Nana Deb, we are having three babies at once! I got to hear their heartbeats, and everything is okay. Isn’t this the best news ever!?”

Brian and Justin grasped hands and held their breath, waiting to hear how the rest were taking the news as Debbie finally let loose. “OH, MY GOD! FUCKIN OH, MY GOD! How? When? Who is the mother? Oh, my God! This is the best news ever! My boys are going to be dads again,” she exclaimed, her eyes teary as she placed her hand over her heart. 

Running to them, Debbie knocked the wind out of them, hugging both of them tightly as they hugged her back. “I’m so proud of you both and so happy for you!”

Brian looked into her eyes as he replied, “Thank you, Ma. That means a lot to us, and we will tell you more very soon.”

Lindsay traced the figures on the picture with her finger as she gazed at the images in wonder. Three babies. Her son’s father was going to have three more babies. She thought that she should feel jealous or left out, but she didn’t. All she felt was pure and honest-to-God joy and happiness for them. Looking at Brian and Justin together - one holding Gus as the other held Jenny - made her feel even happier. She thought back to that fateful time last year and how different things could have been. She would make sure that they knew that she was happy for them, and would help them in anyway they needed. Mel’s eyes met hers, and she knew that she was feeling the same way, and that their family would be ok,because it was growing more full of love.

Emmett was jumping up and down, hugging everyone and already claiming dibs on planning the baby shower, while the rest were full of tears and smiles as they congratulated the two men on their exciting news.

Brian laughed as he told Emmett, “It’s okay, Honeycutt, you can plan the baby shower. Justin and I already talked about it.”

Emmett smirked. “This is a one-time deal in getting away with calling me Honeycutt; I’m too damn happy to care...Kinney.” 

Brian and Justin laughed harder as they hugged their friend. 

Michael, however, was frozen to the spot, still gripping the scanned photo in his trembling hands.

Justin bumped Brian’s shoulder to get his attention, gesturing with his head towards where Michael was sitting, as he whispered, ”Go talk to him. Explain why we kept it a secret, so he can understand. We really didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.”

He kissed Justin’s cheek as well as Jennifer and Molly’s, both of whom were standing next to them and still crying happy tears while looking at the picture. 

As Brian left to join Michael, Jennifer once again engulfed her son in a hug. “My baby is having a baby! Not just one, but three! You and Brian really don’t do things halfway; you never have and you never will.”

Shaking his head and laughing at his mother's words, Justin replied, “No, no, we don’t, do we? I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. The only ones who knew were Gus and Jenny. They were there every step of the way with us, because we felt it was important that they be involved, since they were getting new brothers or sisters.”

Taking her son’s face in her hands, Jennifer assured him, “You have nothing to be sorry about. You did this the right way for your family, and I am very proud of you, Justin...very proud.”

Hugging his mother, Justin let out a breath he did not know that he had been holding. “Thank you, Mom.”

Hugging his sister next, he whispered, “You are going to be the best auntie in the world, Molly.”

Molly vowed to help as much as he wanted her to and always be available to babysit.

 

Michael’s gaze never wavered from the picture in his hand as he felt Brian sit down next to him, but he did find his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to do this; have more children?” 

Brian reached over, taking his other best friend’s hand in his as he explained, “We didn’t do it this way to hurt you, Mikey, or anyone else. You’re my best friend; always have been, always will be. But this is something Justin and I wanted to do alone with Gus and Jenny. I hope that you can understand that and respect that. Can you forgive us?” Using a finger under Michael's chin, he made him look at him. “Are you listening to me, Mikey?” 

Michael nodded with a slight smile on his face; some things - and expressions - never changed. But then again, some things did. “I’m listening.”

Brian took a deep breath before speaking again. “Justin and I didn’t want to involve others, because it can become too much, What if something had gone wrong? Despite how young he is, Gus has been the rock that has held us together. Yeah, he’s still a child, but, my God, is he strong! When we thought about giving up, he set us straight. So please, Mikey, I hope you can understand. I couldn’t bear it if I lost you over this.” He curled his lips under pensively before leaning his forehead to rest it against Michael’s. “You do know that you are going to be the godfather, right?”

Michael hugged his best friend and who he considered to be his brother tightly as he assured him softly, “You are never going to lose me. I am so happy for both of you; really. I’m very proud of you, Brian.”

Kissing his friend on the lips, Brian smiled in relief as they made their way over to join the others to watch the DVD as they all gushed oohed and ahhed over it. 

Justin whispered to Brian, “Is everything okay?”

Holding Justin in his arms, Brian smiled as he replied, “Everything is perfect.”

 

A few minutes later, Gus was sitting happily, nestled in his dad’s arms, as they all watched a movie. Brian felt the buzz of his phone indicating that it was time for Gus’s next surprise.

Justin couldn’t wait to see the birthday boy’s reaction. Right on cue, he cleared his throat as he asked, “Brian, Gus, would you help me with something, please?”

They both leapt to their feet, saying, “Of course,” as the others followed, prompted by Justin’s motion for them to accompany the three of them.

Standing in front of the patio doors, Gus raised an eyebrow in an exact imitation of his father as he frowned. “Dad, is everything okay? It’s dark out there.” 

Brian and Justin stood beside him on one side, while Lindsay and Mel stood on the other, as everyone else stood directly behind the parents. 

Brian prompted, “Gus, why don’t you turn on the lights?”

Gus did just that, and was shocked to see their neighbor Kyle standing there, holding a basket and a poster that showed his dream tree house. 

Quickly opening the patio doors to greet him, Gus commented, “Kyle, I thought that you were in Spain? How did you get here in the dark? And that poster is so cool!”

Kyle laughed at the rush of words that flowed out of the young boy. Glancing at Brian and receiving a nod he explained, “I was in Spain, but I came home two days ago. And this poster is to help us while we build your tree house.” He pointed over toward the left as Gus gasped in shocked delight at the building materials sitting nearby that would be needed to make the drawing come to life. 

 

Kyle smiled as he told his friend, “Happy Birthday, Gus! Your Daddies and Mommies wanted to surprise you. And I’m going to help build it, so you’ll be seeing lot of me.” 

The sound of sudden whimpering broke their attention from what they were discussing as Gus looked around to see where the noise was coming from. He thought it might be coming from the basket Kyle was holding. 

Brian and Justin stepped forward, accepting the basket from Kyle as he laughed, handing it over to Gus’s father as he commented, “I guess it’s time; the cats - or rather the dogs - are out of the bag. Or about to be, anyway.” 

Shaking his head and laughing, Brian told his son, “Go on, Sonny Boy! Open the basket.” 

Gus gulped in excited anticipation as he stepped forward, his little hands shaking as he asking, “For me?” 

Kissing the top of his son’s head, Brian nodded. “Yes, for you...from all your family.”

Gus reached over and very carefully opened the lid of the basket and out popped up two puppies, one white and one black, who immediately began to lick and jump all over Gus, making the little boy laugh and cry happy tears. 

Hugging the puppies to his chest as the basket fell to the ground, he said thank you over and over again. There was not a dry eye watching the scene in front of them as Jenny joined her brother and the pups rained kisses on her as well. 

Justin shook Kyle’s hand. “Thank you for looking after them for us.”

Waving a hand in dismissal, Kyle told him, “It was no trouble. Actually they were pretty well-behaved; they’re already house trained, and they love to curl up in bed with you.”

Laughing now, Justin watched as Gus kissed the top of the pups’ heads and sat down on the ground with them. He giggled as the puppies squirmed in his grasp. He asked in wonder, “What’re their names, Daddy? And what kind are they?” 

Brian sat down next to Gus, Jenny, and the pups, “Well, the white one is a girl named Sammy, and the black one - the boy - is named Jackson, and they’re Labradoodles.” Gus frowned at the odd name as his father explained, “That means they are part Labrador Retriever and part Poodle.” 

Gus nodded with joy. “I love those names, Daddy!” Leaning against him, he told him, “I love them thank you so much! This is the best birthday ever!”

Holding his son close, Brian smiled, pleased that his son was so happy. “You are very welcome, and I can’t wait to see what's ahead for us. After all, we have a real adventure coming up with building the treehouse, don’t we? 

“I can help build it, too?” Gus asked eagerly. 

Brian grinned. “You bet. And I know your mama is very excited to help as well. She and Justin will make sure it’s painted just like you want it.”

Everyone loved playing with the pups and talking with Kyle and simply being together, just relaxing and having fun. The past year had been the hardest they had ever had to face, but the coming year was going to bring lots of new and wonderous things, so they knew there would be plenty of new life and love to come.

The end….for now.


End file.
